Some Summer

It was pretty warm here this last weekend, but it's supposed to be in the 90's this week and through the month.  There is a cactus flower at the creek that comes only in the Summer months, and it's dry and not particularly attractive, but when it blooms, it's unusually pretty with a vibrant red tip.  Every season, I drive through the coffee shop and get a specialty drink.  Summer is here, so it was time for a treat.  After looking at all the different blends, I was drawn to the pumpkin spice latte, and I guess I've been thinking of Fall, so that's what I got.  There is a huge pine tree that sits next to the coffee shop, and it looks like one very tall Christmas tree, when actually there are three snuggled together.  Afterwards, I parked and enjoyed my coffee, and I'm still amazed with the view right in front of me, Mount Shasta.  It still glistens with snow even in the Summer, and I rarely see the mountain without it.  My neighbor brought over what she called 'South of the Border Shrimp Cocktail.'  I didn't get a picture, but it was tasty.  She's always bringing over goodies, and she's there if I ever have any mountain questions haha.  I do believe they are the best neighbors I've had in all the houses I've lived in.  All the men in my family are good cooks, my son, sons-in-law, brothers, brothers-in-law.  My son cooked some shrimp one night with his own special buttery sauce, and I made some pineapple bacon sausages, and it was all delicious.  Jess had a huge beehive in their attic!  And with it came fresh honeycomb.  Her family went to the Santa Barbara Zoo, and Francesca had fun looking around at all the exotic animals.  If you ever visit California, the San Diego Zoo is a really neat one also.  Nel and her family took a trip to Italy and just returned home.  They had a great time, and Mia got to travel to Europe at the young age of 4.  Her favorite thing was the gelato, and she learned a new word, grazie, (thank you).  Well, that's a splash of our Summer, and this will be a photo filled post today.

Summertime.  Not my favorite season, too hot and dry, and with that is the concern of wildfires, but none have been reported in the area so far.  The pines and the lakes are so pretty here, and are filled from all the rain we got this year.  I recently got a chance to go to a nearby lake when my brother-in-law from my hometown visited for the day.  We got burgers and cokes and drove to the lake, and it was a nice outing.  For the kids, Summer is a time to rejoice and be free.  To have time off from the rules of school, and to play like the carefree, barefoot children they are meant to be.

  Brian making homemade ice cream with the kids.

~Sheri