I still intend to take a brief August break from the blog, but before I do I wanted to celebrate the good things about July with this little post. My last blog focused on a few summer struggles, and I would be remiss if I didn’t celebrate some of the things I loved and appreciated during the times in July when the rain took a break, the temperatures dropped a little, and the smokey haze cleared out. There is so much to love about The Precious Days of summer. Here are just a few July highlights:

1. Our Backyard Gardens
By mid to late July, the second phase of blooms begins. So much color explodes: pink echinacea and bee balm, yellow coreopsis and black-eyed Susans, white delphinium and daisies, purple and white hydrangeas, purple harebell and globe thistle, and every color of phlox and lilies to delight. And that’s just to name a few. So much lush color in our gardens serves as the setting for morning coffee, afternoon reading, and lots of lounging and daydreaming.

2. Going for a Ride
The hot July days have been perfect for taking a windows-rolled-down-tunes-turned-up, breezy drive around the lake. Envying lakefront living, watching boats shoot across the bay, planning our next state park picnic — these spontaneous rides cool us off and remind us how much we are loving being able to live The Precious Days. Bonus! They usually end up with a trip to the creemee stand.

3. Chasing Bubbles with our Dachshund
This July I found a partially full bottle of “bubble stuff” in our junk drawer and took it outside while we were playing with the dog. She loves running after those bubbles, and we love watching her. It’s the best backyard summer entertainment we could have asked for. There is no dog more entertaining than a dachshund, and I’ll stand by that statement—back me up dachshund lovers!

4. Blackberry Anticipation
We are fortunate to have mature blackberry bushes in our backyard. The berries start to ripen at the end of July and into August. I am looking forward to August mornings on the deck with warm sunshine and a bowl of yogurt studded with slices of Amish peaches from our local farmstand and our own blackberries. Whether in simple cobblers or just by the handful, our blackberries are a wonderful part of The Precious Days of summer life.

5. Planning our August Adventures
August is becoming my favorite of the summer months now that I am retired. We get serious in July about making our plans for August. They are full of summer travel, baseball games, outdoor concerts, waterfront dining, and trips to state parks for reading, relaxing, and picnics….exhale and enjoy. August is also the month we celebrate the anniversary of our first date, our birthdays, and NOT having to go back to school (IYKYK). The calendar is FULL of what we love about summer.

And One to Grow On…
In the month of July I hit the 1000th entry of my Morning Pages! I know I am just a youngster at Morning Pages compared to some of you, but I am proud of this milestone, and I intend to keep going. Morning Pages is a game changer…a life changer. You can check it out here.

All photos from Unsplash except the garden, our dachshund, and the blackberry photos. Those are mine.

Hope you all had a wonderful July and are looking forward to August as much as I am. Enjoy The Precious Days!