stay hydrated

tristan can drink from a cup. here he is enjoying a smoothie.





all done!



he can also drink from a dump truck.



and sometimes, he just goes directly to the source!

lala

as summer winds down, we've had a few forays into the water, or lala, as tristan will call it.



less than a 15 minute drive away there is a lake that we've felt rather indifferent about for quite some time.



having been spoiled by the sea, the ocean, the great lakes and some beautiful northern glacial lakes, it's been challenging to feel the love for a small man made mere of warm murky water. but on days when the temps are in the high 90's, just about anything will do. a small bit of time spent listening to the plash of liquid, sinking toes into roasty sand and watching sunlight bounce off of the rippled surface, can bring on a great attitude adjustment. and the mushroom splash shower is pretty fun too.





















an autumn chill has come our way and a long overdue rain soaking, but i suspect there may be a swim or two yet ahead. how are you spending your last days of summer vacation?

blue ridge camping love

camping on loft mountain in the shenandoah national park is becoming a tradition for our family and our good friends. we had our third annual loft mountain visit this past weekend.


it was good to be out of range of all cell phone and internet connectivity for a few days, though of course the digital cameras were in constant use!


we communed with birds, stars, the great sun, fuzzy caterpillars, many butterflies and elusive bears that left their berry filled scat on the nearby trail. we also saw a baby copperhead, our neighbor campers alerting us of its presence and using a stick to push it into the nearby shrubbery.








the climate was a wonderful relief from that of the lower altitudes. nights and mornings were cool enough for layers and adorable caps.


the views as always were spectacular.




we managed a small hike on the appalachian trail where we ate blackberries and appreciated wildflowers.


the girls played four square, read their books, wandered down to the rocks to chat privately, helped with dishes and entertained tristan when the adults were busy preparing meals or building fires.


we had a lovely ceremony to officially declare our dear friends god father, goddess mother and goddess sister to tristan. tristan even kept his flower garland on, approved of the ritual text, allowed his god(dess) family to anoint him with rosewater (once we handed him the bottle and cap) and took the liberty of chiming the tibetan bowl to close the ceremony. it was perfect.









we came home tired from wakeful nights in the tent, long sessions of preparing meals on an open fire and a one-burner backpacking stove, and from constantly keeping watch on a baby who would gladly wander into the bush, the road, or off the cliff side. even though we were exhausted, we felt refreshed by the cool mountain air, renewed by the grand vistas and inspired by the conversation and collaboration that takes place when camping with others.


oh summer, how can it be that the time has passed so very quickly?

august has arrived

ah, august. the month in which i was born. a month of alchemy, of beginnings and of endings. august harvest. august heat. august sky. i love august, but it does bring with it the concerns of seasons to come. there is also anticipation, as we ramp up for the activities of autumn.

today was a fine first day of august. it began with a breakfast of potato kasha pilaf and eggs, a recipe from feeding the whole family. it continued with second breakfast: peach blueberry clafoutis. it was my first clafoutis, and quite delicious i must admit. while traditionally made with cherries, it is simple enough to substitute other fruits.



evening rode in with a delicious indian spiced tomato okra stew. i picked up a pound of organic okra nearly a week ago from the tuesday farmer's market and it was still as fresh as it was when i bought it. even the baby asked for more!

it has been a remarkably cool weekend and we've spent a good amount of it outside, from the farmer's market, to a swim at mint springs, visiting friends assembling a yurt and spending an afternoon following my babe around the yard. it is so fun to explore the world with a little guy who now walks. a respectable amount of time was also spent playing with dirt. . .





and scooting about on four wheels.




may august be your gateway into a season of fruition.