The Best from the Summer of 2008

As summer vacation winds down and I once again feel a chill in the air here in northeastern Washington it is time to reflect on the highlights of the summer.

The Best Ten from the Summer of 2008... in no particular order.

1. Camping at Canyon Creek with JEJ and the dogs. It is such a peaceful location and on that trip I practiced new shots with my camera.
2. The Writing Retreat in McCall. My summer always begins on a creative note when I am able to spend five days immersed in writing at a beautiful setting in Idaho. The highlight this year was having my brother as the visiting writer.
3. The Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge. This was the surprise of the summer revisiting this place close to home. After spending a day driving through the refuge and appreciating the scenic views, we returned to camp.
4. Phantoms of the Melodrama: the Wallace 6th Street Theater production in August. This was very entertaining and also starred my sister Silver Valley Girl and her husband PKR.
5. A visit from Z2. It was a pleasant time in the middle of July to have my niece come and stay. We fit in shopping, celebrating her birthday, going on some photo taking trips, and spending time with the dogs and cats.
6. Sister Day in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We spent a fun-filled day recently that included shopping for used books, a stop for Mexican Mochas, Mamma Mia, and dinner at The White House restaurant.7. Enjoying our flowers through the blooming season, particularly the lilies.
8. The reading time I carved out for myself. Some memorable books I devoured were The Best Day the Worst Day by Donald Hall, Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber, The Beach House by Jane Green,Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction by David Sheff, Her Last Death: A Memoir by Susanna Sonnenberg, Odes to Common Things by Pablo Neruda, Long Time Gone by J.A. Jance, New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver, and Take Joy by Jane Yolen.
9. Relishing the taste of garden fresh tomatoes. They have been the most successful vegetable in our garden so far!
10. Also carving out more time to write, blog and experiment with my camera.

Friday we are rounding out the summer with a sibling reunion, which will also include the rest of the family later in the day. I am sure that will add one more favorite thing to the list.