Life at a "Swell's" pace

Hello.

Happy Friday the Thirteenth. Wow! This week got hot! Not just slightly sweat-worthy, but pretty toasty on Wednesday and Thursday. We crested well over 100 degrees on both days, according to the NOAA temperature gauge The Mr. has. I was watering our garden morning and evening just to stay ahead of the game. The Bean enjoyed the warmth after his school work was done to slip down his "homemade" slip-n-slide. As far as the school work goes, remember we homeschool here, there is no summer break, per se, but often time in the summer there are breaks in weeks. But I digress, the temperature spike almost reminded me of being down south in Arkansas. We loved it! We did have to look into getting another air conditioner for the upstairs loft, though. We ended up purchasing another small one so that The Bean didn't melt into his bed at night. We will have to come up with clever ways in storing it in the off months. This week we also went on a little shoe adventure to purchase some new Birkenstocks for all three of us. That ship is still sailing, so stay tuned. As far as everything else around here it's been pretty calm, hot, and collected. Nothing too exciting, so here are the five things that did make this week great!

1. This lavender...

Because it was time to harvest and give them a nice summer haircut.

2. This key...

Because it looks similar to my 17-year-old Persian/Siamese, Meia. I'm using it as a bookmark right now in one of my bedside books.

3. This sweet swimmer...

Even when Happy's pool is being cleaned out she find a way to just keep swimming. I had ducks growing up and so did The Mr.-Being a duck family just makes sense.

4. This bell...

We've had a lot of Geocachers come by since the summer started. We love when people come by to ring the bell and it gives us such a delight to be able to meet the Geocachers that favorite our little space of the Geocache world. If you're a Geocacher and looking for adventures in the Willamette Valley, check out our Geocache, "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

5. July's book selections...

These are the book selections I've given thought over for this month. Great reads and ones that will definitely keep you occupied and able to take you away for a moment. You can check these and other month's selections out here.

A few more things:

• No more SNAP benefits at Farmers' Markets.

• High On Life, a Canadian adventure collective, lost three of their members at Shannon Falls. The group believes that "living in the moment" and staying high on life with travel are life's priorities.

• "Stop looking for reasons why you can’t and look for reasons why you can."

• Being a conscious carnivore; Is it possible?

• Oregon Lottery has given over $685mil to habitat restoration.

• Grow some perennials in your garden.

• Train now for green jobs of the future.

• Making plans for the Grand Floral Parade next year?

• Yoga meditation cushions by Samadhi.

• A bookstore with 18 miles of books.

Have a nice weekend!

Hello.

Happy summer to you. Hope your summer days are shaping up nicely. We are enjoying these hotter days and sunny weather here in the Valley. Those that say they don't like summer just aren't living it right, right? I soak in as much summertime as I can each year so that the winters aren't so hard to bare here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The Mr. and I dream of days where we complain more about the heat than we do the cold. The Valley doesn't go through regular seasons like it should. We end up with summer and winter and a short in between with both. Arkansas had regular season changes and Arkansas has one of the most beautiful autumn season that you'll ever see. Oregon's spring is a close competitor, but the autumn season here is next to nonexistent. Speaking of summer in Oregon, our garden is looking lovely. We have so many plants bringing about their glory this year and our layout and planting plans seem to come together more and more with each summer. Looking forward now to all of the blooms turning into juicy vegetables for us to enjoy. With that, here are five simple things that made my week.

1. This garden duck...

Even on an overcast day she enjoys walking around and cleaning up the garden.

2. This bike ride...

Always a great ride in Corvallis. The trail system makes for a great ride. We always end our rides with a stop at First Alternative Co-op, too. Their selection helps us stay on track for better long term health and the best part, we're part co-op owners! Find out more here.

3. The girls...

Because ducks are great!

...And are a lot of fun!

4. Our garden...

We are starting to pick blueberries from our blueberry bushes and our tomatoes are green-ish pink in color right now. We are also growing nasturtium and loads of lettuce. Our garden is one for the books this year already.

5. These summer moments...