Summer Morning

My strawberries are finally ripe after our very cool spring.

To celebrate, I decided to bake some Strawberry Scones. (See recipe under 'baking')

No matter that I am all by myself for the next few days while my Ramblin' Man is away at a charity golf tournament representing the company he works for.

The charity is for Women's Shelters.

Love that.

So while he is gone, why not bake something just for myself?

Mmmmm! Hot out of the oven. I replaced half the white flour with wheat this time. They were still light and fluffy. I have only a small amount of strawberries, and these scones are the perfect treat for a few special berries.

I will save out two for myself and freeze the rest for Ramblin' Man.

I am enjoying these warm summer mornings.

I have some time to browse through some favorite books.

And find some precious keepsakes from another long ago summer morning.

 Pressed while in the very place depicted, on a stroll with a precious sister- in- law who lives so far, but always close to our hearts.

A book of poetry by Robert Frost.

I bought it there, in a tiny shop hidden away.

A precious memento of our time together.

The best kind of souvenir.

Another vintage favorite - illustrated by Kate Greenaway.

Blue Violets - Faithfulness

The very definition of these guys.
Every morning we take our long walk up the winding driveway to get the newspaper.

With plenty of play time on the way.

Who can say No to such happy faces?

We can see the horses that live next door when we get to the end. You can still see storm debris piled high in the center of their pasture. We will be cleaning up from that ice storm for several years yet.

But for now it is mostly hidden among the lush summer landscape.

On the way I sample some native Red Huckleberries. Very tart! You will always find these growing in decaying tree stumps. They thrive in the acidity. These are very long-lived plants. Some have been here since we first came, over 30 years ago. They are lovely as can be with their tiny bright green leaves and red berries. Of course, the birds love them.

I stop on the way back to water my wildflower gardens.

Sweet William, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Buttercup, and Tansy not yet blooming.

Sweet William - Gallantry

I will leave you with one of my favorite poems.

Flower-Gathering

by Robert Frost

I left you in the morning,

And in the morning glow,

You walked a way beside me

To make me sad to go.

Do you know me in the gloaming,

Gaunt and dusty gray with roaming?

Are you dumb because you know me not,

or dumb because you know?

All for me? And not a question

For the faded flowers gay

That could take me from beside you

For the ages of a day?

They are yours, and be the measure

of their worth for you to treasure,

The measure of the little while

That I've been long away.