Summer. Finally.

The full moon from last week. This picture doesn't even begin
to show how breathtaking this twilight hour was.

Summer has been very tardy this year in Montana. Actually, Mother Nature was incredibly punctual about it, if you want to be technical. June 21st was our warmest day of the year thus far, and that was probably by a good 20 degrees. And since then its been just as lovely- although we had an afternoon thunderstorm today.

My parents' front yard.

Summer here is about as gorgeous as anything can get, assuming it treats us nicely. Right now I'm sitting on the porch, watching Monkey play in the driveway. There is not a breath of wind, and the air is cool after the storm, and is thick with the smell of my mother's lilacs and peonies in the front yard. Birds are chirping all around, the sky is blue and the grass is green. Everything is vibrant in color. It's a beautiful thing.

Pretty lilacs- dark purple and white. I love
the contrast they make.

My mother's gorgeous- and huge!- peonies.

Please help me remember all this when I'm freezing my tuckus off in the middle of the winter, okay?