The calendar says fall. But the garden says spring.

These sweet Delphinium Elatum (Black Eyed Angels) debuted a few weeks ago and now, they're prolific alongside white Cosmos and a white Rose in my garden. They really are summer lights in my nighttime garden.

I was surprised by them coming up all together while the white rose finally bloomed. They must be in cahoots and remind me how much I love surprises, the garden and flowers beyond my dear Dahlias.

This year was my first real attempt at a Dahlia garden inspired by Charlie McCormick's Instagram displays. (See his fabulous dahlias in this article - look at the pinks, reds and corals!) His are magnificent and thoughtfully placed and grown. I had a long row of 12 against the edge of the garden facing sun. Pretty, but I may rethink position next year, hoping for the dense look of all the different varieties in reds and purples popping up together. A few new ones will arrive and I suppose I'll learn the art of dividing too. Ah, Dahlia's. But I digress.

I was considering fall. We've a pumpkin or two on the porch. Mums coming up in the different pots from a very intentional planting last year. (I had no idea they'd only require deadheading and are so prolific, blooming a couple of times a year.) Again, I digress.

Fall. White Delphinium, White Cosmos and White Roses. Lovely. Unexpected joy in the now-cool evenings. Time to sit and savor the last of the post- summer nights and enjoy the intrigue of the display.

Fall. Full of surprise.

Paint the Pillows, Please.

I'm still very much in love with my Sketchbookery class.

These pillows were happily resting on my friend Joan's patio bench on her deck in Topanga Canyon. I believe she made them. A week or so ago, I spent a day there, soaking in the quiet. It was a little bit startling and fully wonderful.


Since we met 18 years ago, I've being at her home, but often wondered how working in LA balanced with the extra commuting time. This visit it all clicked. It was just she and her beautiful girlie and me, no party crowd. Quiet. At one point in the day, I actually sat in a chair with my head back and fell asleep in the canyon silence. Oh sure, there was the sound of a breeze off and on, but nothing like the sound of cars and people I get floating into my suburban quiet. It was so peaceful.
The pillow picture is a little remembrance of the day and the deck.

What I find myself loving about this sketchbookery way of coming at watercolor, is that I seem to be gaining some facility with the paints without the formality. I'll be so glad to go back later and get the ground-up detail of applying watercolor technique. But right now, Mary Ann Moss has encouraged me to just try to copy all I see. It's a brilliant way to become fearless! It seems that some of the detail is coming on its own.

I love the pillows, the friend who made them and the paint that got them onto the page.

What's making your summer special?

Well, Hello.

Summer's here!
I'm for that.

Things have slowed. One of my peops is in football camp, the other is in scrapbook camp.

I've worked a couple of these quieter summer days in my quiet office. The phone doesn't ring so much and I'm enjoying a bit of uninterrupted thinking.

Then today, I stayed home and took on a scary cupboard. (I have several of them and I plan to have none by the end of July.) I found many wonderful things. Because of scrapbook camp, I was searching to organize scrapbook treats. The cupboard had kidnapped and was holding hostage several blocks of paper, note cards and the like. Oh! And also, some darling pix. This is one of my all time favorites. My Sweet Pea in preschool. It was a whole school ago and this pic has withstood the test of time. It always brings a warm burst to my heart. Her teacher, Mrs. Naraki, one of the most visually creative people I know, took the pic. It came to me in framed a glittered Popsicle stick frame complete with a yarn hanger. It's a treasure.

It reminds me of sweet days and happy girls and that's really Summer's all about isn't it?

Quotable Sunday - Summer

To see the Summer Sky

Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie -

True Poems flee.

~Emily Dickinson

Image from North Creek Nursery

Can you say, "Downtime?"

This year, summer is (very intentionally) more about downtime than camp after camp.

And boy is it fun. This kiddo, the Crazy Daisy, is dressed in knee socks, a bathing suit top over a t-shirt, kooky hair and stripey scarf. Beautiful on many levels.

I'm all for time on your hands.

The boy practices the horn and plays the guitar and is making movies with the neighbor buddy.

Rooms are shifting. Things are going out the front door and not returning. And we're ready for what's next.
Downtime.
Reading. Creating. Resting.

In Search of Summer ~ the Farm Calls

Darling cousin Saralynn graduated this weekend. So we traveled to celebrate. The gift to us was a weekend in Northern California and a long visit to their farm (with this horse). Beyond the joy of family together, it became a reminiscence of many summers past on my dad's ranch. Working with the horses. Heading to the shore. Experiencing a different life than my school year.

My kiddos are practically packed for a trip to experience the same. Oh we are searching for summer.