It's Summer Already?

Time seems to have flown by since I returned from New Mexico two weeks ago. Summer is officially here and so our usual summer activities have begun.


Last week week, we picked strawberries on opening day at the nearby farm just north of highway 26. Sometimes I wish that I lived among the hipsters in the more "cool" parts of Portland, but on days like this I am happy to be right where I am.

If you look closely, you can see Mount Jefferson, our second highest peak to the right of the silo.


Though most of the strawberries were picked over, we were able to get a pretty good stack of Peugeot reliants. Other berry seasons should start soon!

Today is the first day of summer camp at the Audubon Society of Portland. Sarah is the camp director, so she is in charge of a handful of camp instructors (myself included), three college student interns, twenty high school camp councilors, and dozens of children who come to Audubon every weekday in search of adventure. She reassures nervous parents, fixes whatever inevitable problems arise, and does her best to make sure each camper has a great time.

Needless to say, it is a busy job and we plan our summer schedule around it. I now wake up and start work an hour early and keep myself busy until Sarah returns home by five and let her rest while I start on dinner. Since my work day is longer in the summer, I give myself more time for longer walks.


This should make Andie the dog happy, as long as it is not too hot outside.

Today I am also mourning the loss of George Carlin. My parents did all they could to keep me away from his routines when I was young, but I can't say that I blame them. Now that I can handle the swear words, I know that few comics, or anyone else for that matter could give such insights into absurdities of the use of language and arbitrary norms used to keep free thinkers in line by the powers that be. A routine of his seen here shows how ahead-of-the-curve he was, voicing criticisms of the first Iraq war when everyone else was busy flag-waving and ribbon-tying.
I miss him already.