matching tracksuits

We seem to be clearing that first hurdle without much difficulty.

Can the next step be that much more difficult?

Waking up in the mountains, with French press of coffee and a fire filling the house with an inviting, warm odors. It’s rare that the physical act of visiting friends — the actual physical being there, in this case, in the mountains — is nearly as pleasant the conversation that lasts into the early morning hours.

When we arrived, things were dark and wet.

The next morning, the opposite.

We were all up early thanks to our self-portable alarm clock. There was soon a fire burning in the stove and coffee working its magic in a press. And the conversation picked up where we’d left of the evening before.

The highlight for the Girl: animals. Four friendly dogs and twenty-some chickens made for an overjoyed little girl.

We’ve begun our garden — sort of. We ordered seeds some weeks ago, and they finally arrived earlier this week. The first step was to get them started.

We’re both excited about hte prospect of growing our own beans, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, and other veggies, but we sometimes wonder if we’re biting off more than we can…

Scratch that.

Planting more than we can hoe.

I recall all the work Nana and Papa put into our garden when I was growing up, and I think, “When are we ever going to find the time.” Of course, being a teacher, I have summers off. Yet being a teacher, I also have to spend at least some of my summer expanding my horizons, so to speak — a useful euphamism for “sitting in teacher in-service sessions.”

Still, a longer day means more time to dig, which hopefully will mean more to harvest.

“You can be a star — it ain’t hard.”

All you’ve got to do is have the right shades.

And have an eye-catching pose or two.

And know how to put your sunglasses on right side up — something that’s initially challening for a two-year-old.

Nana and Papa came over for a late lunch yesterday, which meant a string of “Yes’s” and “Of course’s” from Papa. Because we all know who always says, “Yes.”

The light was warm and the Girl occupied; only one thing to do.

1/640, f/4.2, 95 mm

K said just yesterday, “We have so many pictures at the swing!” Portraits are supposed to reflect the subject and her personality, and what better way than to take pictures where she loves to be?

1/1250, f/4.0, 86 mm

But point taken, K — enough with the swing, already!