Solstice in the Pacific Northwest — these are days when we wake to blinding sunlight and 10:00 p.m. feels too early to go to bed.
I managed to capture a morning sky on Monday, but it was even better at 4:30 a.m. How do I know this? I don’t sleep much in the summer. Even with an eye mask and blackout curtains, somehow morning comes and nudges me like a cat wanting its breakfast.
We’re now in a transition. Though we are headed into the heat of the summer, solstice begins the transition to shorter days.
Outside, the garden has shifted gears, too. Though there’s still plenty of weeding to do, I’m spending the bulk of my time harvesting. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are coming in all at once. We’re eating them, freezing them, and sending extras to various neighbors. There are so many berries that I don’t mind if a slug gets a hold of even the biggest, prettiest strawberry.
Yet even as I fill bowls full of strawberries, I see signs of transition. Production is slowing, and a few of the strawberries have a tougher skin, which happens near the end. After a few busy weeks, there will be no more strawberries until late summer, when I get one more round.
My writing projects are in transition as well. What She Knew is officially ready to go to the editor after more than two years of work. While I wait to hear her availability, I am drafting a nonfiction work I’ve pondered for a few years.
I’m also researching 19th century woolen mills, women’s lives, and more for my next novel, which I plan to start in November during NaNoWriMo.
It’s exciting to plan and create new work. I’ve been in revision mode for a very long time, and I love the idea of switching from the tedious examination of every word to just letting ‘er rip.
How’s your summer going? Are you experiencing any transitions?
I love this blog. It makes me happy. My one garden tour trip to Seattle area is still a memory I cherish. Thank you for the 5:00AM photo of this beautiful view. I would never see it because awakening at that hour is obscene for someone who hates to go to bed and hates to get up.
I think waking at 5:00 a.m. is obscene in general, but here I am, up and about! 🙂
I’m glad you enjoy the blog. You gave me a smile today.
It’s been summer here for over a month: temps in the 90’s, humid, and the occasional thunderstorm/tornado watch. (Right now, it’s thunderstorms.) Neither Mary nor I deals especially well with hot weather, so we’re either staying in or going places where it’s nice and cool (e.g. Starbucks). It’s all we can do to keep the grass cut…
Ugh, I hate the heat! We lived in Houston for many years, and I couldn’t stand it at the end.
You get really long days. Around here, the sun goes down around 8 PM. I can’t imagine light much later than that.
It’s crazy. We pay for it in the wintertime, though, when we have lots of darkness.
Still not getting properly dark till almost 11pm here – but we don’t have the weather. Rain and the coldest June for years!
Wow, I hope you get some good weather soon! We’re warmer and drier than normal. There was no snowpack in the mountains this last winter…we’re hoping the California drought doesn’t drift up our way.
I can see I need to learn from you and get up at 3:00 A.M. to be productive. The transition today is the few rain drops that we received. Now the sun took command again. Enjoy your fruitful garden. I’m ENVIOUS!! 😉
We got hit with a few sprinkles today as we walked downtown. It looked much more threatening than it turned out to be.
I think I’m going to be inundated with blueberries next week. It’s looking downright scary, though in a good way!
Your berries look delicious! I have voluntary raspberries growing in my front yard, too. Thanks for stopping by my blog. It would be fun sharing produce with you.
Play off the Page