Making Ready For Summer

Lunch on the veranda.

Fans! We know. Nearly two weeks without an update? What happened is that it got well and truly warm here in the Land of Long Winters, and we decided to get after the deck (in desperate need of restraining and repainting) and the gardens (which have three invasive plants invading). So we've been making ready for summer! Last Saturday, it was warm and the deck was far enough along that we could move the outside dining table back on to it. So we ate lunch outside. It was one of those blue-sky days. Joe said the he wished he could touch the sky. Then he said, "We could ask a bird to take us."  Our Birdie immediately echoed him, "Yeah, we could ask a bird to take us." Isn't that terrific?

This Saturday, yesterday, was warm enough to eat outside as well.  We fell to talking about what we liked about Raleigh House.  (This time last year, Fans, we'd just wrapped our one-day-only garage sale in preparation for moving.  Can you believe that?!)  Joe said--and we do not make this up--"the dust in the light when I came home from swimming."  He meant seeing the dust moats he used to see in the sunlight in the living room when he came home from swimming lessons.  We also covered what we like about White House.  Joe said, "It's got a great set-up for Christmas."  True.  But again, we do not make this stuff up.

When Berenicey gets too hot, she moves into the shade on the side of the deck closest to the house.

The deck to the left as you walk out the back door.  (Grandma Connie may notice that the large pots she gave us some years back have been painted gray.)

The deck to the right as you walk out the back door.  (Keen-eyed observers may notice that the deck furniture was rearranged after lunch.)