Phases of Summer

Back for a week after a week spent in Bowen Island, Gabriola Island, and Whistler.  Each phase of summer seems different-sun rising a bit later each day and now when you come out of a movie it is dark.  Days are getting shorter. The last few days have been hot and we Vancouverites seem to have a love hate relationship to this.  Most of us don't have air conditioning in our homes so we tend to moan a bit.   I am in the midst of having the outside of my house painted so that I am hoping the rain will hold off until it is finished.  I have missed our old Mount Pleasant outdoor pool, and now we have the new Hillcrest Pool with all its bells and whistles but although great for kids a bit of a circus and twice as expensive. 

I am going away for the last two weeks of summer so that I am realizing that there are a few things I planned to do that I won't be doing and trying to fit a others in.  That stack of professional reading doesn't seem much smaller.  I have to admit I did lots of summer frivolous reading-some would call it beach reading.  I now seem more ready for a bit more serious reading.  I am reading 2009 Man Booker prize winner, Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel.  It's huge and I have it as a fast read from the library but I am not making fast progress and am wondering if I should buy it and take it back east with me.  I am really enjoying it.  I have always had a bit of a fascination with the Tudors and her depiction of Cromwell is fascinating.

I have spent a fair amount of time looking at new Mac Pros-trying to decide if could survive with a thirteen inch monitor or not, playing with IPads and IPhones, and still here I am with my five year old ibookG4 and my very simple cell phone still.  Mind you if I had an Ipad or a Kindle taking Wolf Hall with me would be a bit lighter!

Now for a happy summer beach shot from Gabriola with Maggie and Jake.