Taste of Summer

The other day we were invited to some friends house and I decided to make one of favorite summer desserts: Pavlova. It is a delicious meringue covered in fresh whipped cream and summer fruits. In this case, I used strawberries, raspberries and kiwi fruit. When it turns out, it is divine. Overall, I think it was a success, given that it was the first one of the season.Another sign of summer is the long, light evenings we are now enjoying. I have really come to savor the long day. I suppose that comes from enduring the remarkably short days of winter. There is nothing quite like the way the high evening sun dances off the landscape here. It is stunning to be out well into the evening and simply have the day light stand still. When it is warm, it is positively paradise.
Tanner agrees. He loves to to be out and about with us and his absolute favorite activity is swimming. As soon as he sees water, he's in it. Today was one of those rare early spring days when we got lots of great sunshine combined with genuine warmth! When my busy day of obligations finally ended at about 6.00 p.m. I decided to take Tanner to his favorite swimming hole. It's about a two mile walk from our house and for a portion of the walk Tanner can be off leash, running through the woods, exploring every nook and cranny in search for...who knows what! He just loves to run around. In order to get to his little swimming area, we have to walk up and over a little hill. You can't see the water until you reach the top of the hill. But as soon as Tanner gets to the top and spots the water, he's gone. He dashes down the hill and runs right into the water! There are fewer things in life that Tanner loves more than swimming after a stick that's been thrown into the water. He will chase that thing down as if his life depended upon his bringing it in. The bigger the stick, the better. So today I had my first chance to watch him revel in the joy of being a real water loving retriever. In and out he went going after the small sticks, then discovering the big boy.
As for me, it was fun to get a little bit wet, have sand in my shoes, and be surrounded by the gorgeous color of the blooming lilac as well as enveloped by the delicious aroma they emit. I was wearing shorts and t-shirt with no jacket. The promise of long, lazy, lovely summer evenings brought comfort and joy to my spirit. Watching my dog love the water made me anxious to take my first plunge. Getting the water warm enough for humans to enjoy taking a dip is an entirely different matter. But for now, I am enjoying the lingering taste of summer I experienced today.