Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of 2011, it will be daylight for 14 hours 43 minute 53 seconds, which is 2 seconds longer than yesterday and 2 seconds longer than tomorrow. Just thought I would enlighten you.

The garden is looking good this year. Hope it stays that way!!

I harvested these greens, mustard and radish,

Did all this work

and got this. I will freeze these for later.

Things here in Floyd have been good. The weather is finally getting back to normal. Hopefully the 90’s are gone for a while. I have been keeping busy in the garden and trying to keep the grass under control while doing normal log cabin maintenance. I am finding out that log homes are defiantly not care free but then no home really is. The front of the cabin faces south so it has gotten beaten up by the sun and I have had to re-stain it. I’m not a fan of ladders but with the help of my friend Shirely I got the front done!! I still have 2 sides and the back to get done in the next little while but the hardest and most necessary sides are done.

I’m going to try and get to the Floyd Town Jubilee this Saturday that should be nice. Next month, July, just explodes with the Floyd Fandango , a friends daughters wedding and then Floydfest X. The summer is just flying!!!!

I enjoy reading but I sometimes feel that I limit myself to genres that I am comfortable with so from time to time I pick up a book at a discount store. I feel for a buck if I don’t like the book it’s no big loss and who knows I might like the author and have whole new series to read. That is how I discovered S. M. Sterling. Any way after reading and finally finishing “The Simarillion”, a book that I originally tried to read nearly 30 years ago but never finished, I needed a light read so off I went to the discount store where I picked “The Book of Unholy Mischief” by Elle Newmark. I would not say it’s a great book but I am enjoying it, it’s a combo book on cooking, history and religion. I am learning a little about Venice in the late 1400’s, at least I am hoping the author did some research and her descriptions are accurate, and it is an easy summer read. I would recommend it.

There is a certain catharsis that comes from simple hard work; a cleansing of the soul, a freeing of the mind. Simple hard work requires less of the mind than is required to do more complicated task such as balancing a check book, and for me hard work allows part of my mind to wander, to explore the past the future and the present. Today I spent the whole day working with my hands. I used a weedeater to cut about a half acre or so of tall grass then after it got too hot to do that anymore I made a quiche from scratch and cleaned house, then in the cool of the late afternoon I weeded the garden, watered all the plants and put some sprouting potatoes a friend gave me in pots. All day while I did these necessary but mind freeing activities I reflected on all I wanted to do in the future, what others had taught me in the past and what I want to do with my time in the now. I solved no problems, had no great insights but at this moment while I am relaxing on the deck drinking a coke, the dogs lying quietly next to my chair as I watch the stars slowly appear and the fire fly’s start their psychedelic dance I reflect on the day and say to myself god I’m lucky.

It is June already, oh my gosh, the summer is in full force and it seems like I am still doing things that were meant to be done in the spring but there is so much to do in Floyd that time seems to be flying!!!! Just last night I had the privilege to go to my first classical concert. Can you believe that here in the middle of gods county there is a classical music festival going on. I am very impressed by the sound of all those instruments combined together to form a coherent sound. As I was listening the thought came to me that human civilization has only existed for a few thousand years and in that time many musical instruments producing a plethora of sounds have been made and someone had the ability to combine all those sounds into a symphony. It is just awesome.