Tea with Me - Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast

What is your tea of choice?

I'm currently sipping Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast with a little drizzle of honey. Perfectly yummy!

Pour a fresh cup and let's chat. Oh, dear, things are just popping along around here. Yes they are.

For instance, did you know we have really bad smoke in our valleys? Huge forest fires - I'm talking in the 10's of thousands of acres on fire or already destroyed - have been filling our air with hazy smoke. Some days are worse than others. Like Sunday. The gray was pretty thick. In fact, we took a motorcycle ride to Ellensburg, trying to retrace a nice ride from the ending point and working backwards. We never found our way. No, not at all. We were actually lost! With such thick smoke, we couldn't see the landmarks and foothills to keep us headed the correct direction. We narrowly missed going the absolute opposite way over a different mountain pass. Instead of finding northeast we rode blindly all the way around Ellensburg and ended up northwest headed north. We live south of Kittitas County, so you can imagine our surprise! Back roads sometimes do not work.

Yet another exciting event on our ride was the yellow jacket stuck under my shirt. Uh-huh. I felt a sharp poke, scratched it, and it stopped. About 15 minutes later, I had another stabbing pain, but it was much stronger. I scratched at it, and decided perhaps we should pull over for a check. Yes. Right beside the Yakima River, there we were, river float and canyon road traffic all watching, and Kevin was flapping my shirt up and down. I was almost ready to disrobe, too bad about the free show. We never did find the yellow jacket but two huge welts showed where it had gotten my attention. I am so pleased that I was only stung two times! Fifteen minutes of repeated stinging could mean a trip to the hospital if that thing had kept up it's crankiness. When we got home, we couldn't even see the holes. But Monday morning, the welts were back and full of red. A lesson learned - tuck your shirt in and keep it tight.

Six overgrown thick skinned yellow squash went directly from the garden to the compost bin. Too big, too seedy, too tough. One day I peek, and they are finger length and not ready. The next time I look, it's good-bye to you and how did you get that big that fast??? If ever you are over my way, you are welcome to a few.

Sunday morning I awoke to the sound of banging. Loud banging. Miss Mabel had her mouse and daddy was not letting her keep it for a toy. The bad news was the cats had not been outside yet, so the mouse had somehow made it in alone. Mouse mistake. The good news is we have cats. Inside and outside.

The office looks even worse than the photo of my previous post. If that is possible.

Twenty-eight old folding chairs have passed through my patio this month. Ten are staying for cool seating at the blue door table. Twelve headed north by way of my sister. Six are hanging out waiting for my daughter-in-law. Honestly, who needs that many chairs? I guess we think we do.

The kitties, now officially over a year old, have their annual check-up, vaccinations, and de-worming tomorrow. Let's just predict that Mabel is going to get 'the talk.' The fat kitty talk. She is fluffy I say. I can't figure out how to feed her on a schedule and her sister (who is quite thin) who needs to eat more. Maybe our vet will give suggestions. Whatever happens, it usually involves Mabel eating everyone's food. She loves her food.

Alas, sadness sets in at the ending of summer. Not the heat. Tomorrow is supposed to be triple digits again. The end of that no-school-vacation-time feelings of summer are evaporating like a puddle on a hot day.

But the waning of summer means - hurray - the waxing of fall. That means cooler temps, beautiful colors, cozier nights, and relief from forest fires and tinder dry conditions. Please, Lord, send us ample snow and rain this winter!

My hair seems to be getting grayer and my knees are creakier. How did that happen? Just last week I was 25. (wink, wink)

Ah, life is good. The finches serenade me every morning, the kitties are glad to see me, and I am usually guaranteed to see at least one grandchild!

Hoping your life is filled with peaceful sips of tasty tea and lovely adventures worthy of sharing.

Waiting to hear...