Windy And Warm

6:54

7:08

7:17

7:17

It's 8:00 on a windy morning with a glorious, ever-changing sky. I've already been out on the front porch taking photos five or six times. Despite the wind, it's unseasonably warm, 56º — though temperatures will drop precipitously as the day progresses. Deadfall litters our yard once again, courtesy of gusts up to 50 mph.

7:37

7:37

8:02

Yesterday was a slow day — unhurried in the best and worst sense. We both slept in and didn't get the blog published until 9:30 or later. Neither of us was in any rush. We spent the morning planning what needed to be done since Ron and Linda were coming for dinner, then chipped away at it in small bites. Evie made a marinade for the butterflied leg of lamb and let it soak for the duration of the prepping time. She also baked beer bread for the meal, while I cleaned up the kitchen and helped wherever I could.

I was feeling a bit off, so I skipped my usual walks and hikes. After a lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I walked down to the mailboxes and back, marveling at the sky and the howling wind. Around 2:00, after watching some basketball, I took a brief nap, then spent much of the afternoon reading a new novel — El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott. By mid-afternoon, dinner prep was underway. I vacuumed and cleaned the porches, we both showered, and felt somewhat rejuvenated.

5:50

White Caps

Long Point At 5:50

Linda and Ron arrived at 6:00, bringing two bottles of wine — a white for appetizers, a red for dinner. We started with a lovely brie and blue cheese, talking about everything except Trump, and drew up a list of things we'd like to do this summer. Around 7:15, I carved the lamb while Evie roasted asparagus in the oven. Dinner was a proper spread: lamb, rice pilaf with vermicelli, Caesar salad, and beer bread. Dessert was brownies with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. All four of us were tired, and the evening wrapped up at 8:45. Evie helped tidy before heading up to bed; I finished the cleanup, watched a little TV, and was in bed reading by 10:00.

"On the left: we must recognize

that freedom requires order.

On the right: we have to understand 

that order must be ethical.

Freedom without order is anarchy

And order without ethics is tyranny." Sam Harris