summer in vermont.

flying into btv this week felt different from my other recent returns. i am always happy to get home, especially from a work trip. but this time, i felt downright giddy about coming home, and that feeling hasn't stopped (i got home 3 days ago). as we flew over the rolling green mountains, i could not get over how lush & thick the trees and hills were. since then, on each drive it seems like i am ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the way the light is hitting the trees, or how green the hills are, or how beautiful camels' hump looks in the distance. these are sights i see constantly, but my enthusiasm is bursting. a wet forecast panned out to be a mix of sweet blue skies and sunshine, and a couple of classic vermont downpours with thunderstorms. something about this season, the start of a new stunning summer, makes everything in vermont feel particularly alive and special. i love each season that vermont offers, but summer may be the season that each year holds the most promise for me. for the last two summers, i've made a 'bucket list' of all of the activities, events, locations and festivals that i want to be sure to pack into the ever too short few weeks of summer. there are hikes, bike rides, concerts, sails & trips that must be packed into the weekday daylight hours & weekends. there's no feasible way to fit every single thing that i want to do- but you had better believe that i will try!

and then, there are the sweet, simple summer moments that i appreciate so much as well. our garden this summer is even better than the last, and i love to see the itty bitty veggies growing so quickly. we already have greens to eat! we also got our first share of the CSA that we joined this year. getting the box full of vegetables grown right in this county, as well as bread, eggs & dressing also sourced locally reminded me how fortunate we are to live in such a delicious community and have the ability to choose to reap the benefits of that. brett & i rode our bikes to breakfast the other morning, and i had forgotten how fun bikes are for transportation. in colorado, i rode my bike mostly for transport and less for recreation. here, my riding is primarily recreation and rarely transport, as my commute is too far for riding! we live so close to everything in town that i usually opt to walk, but a quick morning ride to the diner sure was fun. walking in the late afternoon sun to grab a beer with jenna sure is a treat, too, though. and then! there are the flowers. oh, the flowers. first, there were the lilacs. and then, the peonies. our landlord keeps the most splendid flower gardens, and my only wish is that the lasted longer.  this week's rain has already knocked down the peonies that i love so much. i literally stop to smell them once a day. you may think i am being trite, but no. have you smelled those pretty pink things? you'd stop every day if they were out your front door, too. i promise. 

suffice it to say- june is one special month. each day gets just a little bit longer, and sometimes it feels like the last drops of sunshine could linger for hours.