August light

The early mornings have been too beautiful this week to sit at the computer, and I've been trying to get outside chores finished before school starts up in the neighborhood. 

Next Wednesday, the sweetest arborist in Seattle (remember Colin?) is coming to trim the laurel-- one of the big final jobs.  We were surprised that the street side filled in so nicely this summer, considering how ugly it looked in April when he cut it back to "compliance."

A distant memory

This morning I made seven more pints of plum halves, then scrubbed and painted the deck.  That's not as much work as it sounds, because I "can can" in my sleep, and I paint the deck the exact same color (brown) every year to simplify the job (I'm a fast, slapdash painter.) It's a mistake to wait until it looks like it really needs painting, because then you have scraping and prep on top of the painting, and I don't have the patience for that stuff.

Can you believe Labor Day is coming up?  Next week, instead of quiet mornings, the street will be roaring with school buses and harried parents dropping off and picking up kids.  I'll have to start timing my comings and goings with school hours or I won't have a place to park when I come home from the grocery store.  I love kids, I really do, but don't recommend living near a Seattle school.  Even big middle school kids have to be chauffeured everywhere these days.

Speaking of school and kids, Nova starts kindergarten next week!  Amanda and Tom took the girls blueberry picking at Cascadian Farm on Sunday.  She said they picked about 40 pounds to freeze, which was less than they hoped but sounded like plenty to me.  Probably another 20 pounds was consumed on the spot.  Sweet little Maya got into picking for the first time, although not many made it into the box.  Amanda told me that Tom takes the moral high road, and does not eat one blueberry until they are paid for.  You gotta admire that kind of willpower.

Thanks, Amanda for the adorable pictures...