June Delights

• I went on a long walk with the stroller on the lakewalk last week, and there were lupines (they rank high on my favorite flower list), sweet william, late blooming lilacs, purple columbine, and wild purple irises in bloom! All at once! So much purple! It made me so happy! I love the month of June with vibrant green everywhere, and cool, misty weather.
• Near the beginning of the month I had to drive Mr. TOF up to Ely two days in a row for a baseball tournament, and Peanut Maximus had to come along, which was . . . well, an experience! The baseball field in Ely was iconic (my dad would have LOVED to be a spectator there) but not at all conducive to two year olds. However, the city park was not far away at all, and it was awesome! The best part was a little sound making area that was truly the best outdoor sound making experience I have ever run across at a park. There were numerous mallet instruments that were tuned to pentatonic scales rather than diatonic scales, and they all went together in harmonious ways. There were bass bars, alto bars, and soprano bars, and they all had the most pleasing ringing sounds, rather than clanging sounds. Because the pentatonic scales were unpredictable, it was just delightful to play things over and over and be creative. Peanut Maximus and I probably spent an hour just in that little corner making up fun songs.
• It’s been foggy, and I love fog! Last Sunday the beach was enveloped in fog with big rolling, heaving waves, and it was so, so lovely.
• After a foggy, damp and lovely day, I thoroughly enjoy a hot steamy nighttime bath. There have been several of these perfect occasions this month.
• I have some new piano students that just started lessons this week, and last Tuesday they brought me a peony they picked from their yard along with two succulent, fresh strawberries from their garden, ripened in the sun. There is nothing so delightful as sun-ripened local fruit! It has so much flavor!