Things Seen Early and Barely

The weather was quiet wonderful if you like heat.  I myself am ready for winter. Not so the keeper.  She took a morning camino down to the lake, paid respects to the barely visible mountain, and noted that few people were out or about.  Maybe they had all fled to the coast or cooler climes. 

The blackberries and apples, which ripen in August are already starting to appear!

Climate change has come to the neighborhood!

On Deck

Here I am, under the deck lights tonight as I supervise the keeper as she reads and grades her students' 1 page reflections.  Why would anyone in their right minds, assign not just one, but TWO!,reflection papers before class even starts?  Notice I am wearing the white linen cloth around my neck which she soaks in water periodically.  This helps keep me cool.  She tried putting me into a cooling blanket made out of a wet bandanna, like the racehorses wear, but I just felt overdressed and confined!

Cheap Thrills at Target

So, what  did she do to recover from the heat of the morning? She found out that she did exactly what all the other northenders did! Northgate ! It was packed like Christmas! She only dashed in for a pair of sandals, and was happy to leave, but had to stop at Target to look for fetching back yard lights.  She found great ones and  threw them and their cart onto the crazy cart escalator, which is the symbol of  western consumerism, in my humble opinion.  And she came home to me to adjust my cooling blanket and my collar soaked in water. I chilled and she graded papers about breaking the cycle of inhuman consumerism. No irony there.

7 Mile Camino

The keeper thought she left me early enough to beat the heat. But she walked to Kenmore with a stop at her gym on the way home for more water and massage chairs! I hear it was beautifully still, and we know that tomorrow that will not be the case. She thought she may have overdone the heat, though.

The northernmost tip of Lake Washington

La Luna Tremenda

The keeper and I sat out on the deck tonight. She read and I watched. Thanks to our friend, we were reminded to behold the moon in all her great glory tonight!

Spontaneous Happy Hour

The keeper didn't want to do much---too hot to walk, too hot to work, too hot to drive, too hot for church, when she got a text from S, saying, " It's hot. Sorrento?"  Well, they were with all the other glamorous types on the terrace which was quite refreshing. Yes, I ate late again and howled so loud when I heard her come home she could hear me from the street.

Bad Week for the Orchid

We did pretty well since Easter with the orchid. She faithfully placed the ice cube

in the pot each week. But when the heat came and she opened the windows, it started wilting.  She put in two ice cubes per week. The petals started dropping off. Now a stem is yellow. Two blooms remain. We gave it our best shot.  Maybe it needs to hibernate now. Maybe we should ask an expert.