Perfect Summer Day

It is that time of the summer again. I have been pretty good about tackling my chore list and catching up with friends and family. But all my dreams of lazy summer days are dissapearing as the school year awaits. So before summer totally slips away I called today Helen's Perfect Summer Day. When Laurel first heard about this she said, "So what do you mean- are you going out to breakfast? Are you getting a mani pedi? are you going shopping?" I said, "No- it is not my extravagant day- it is what I picture being a perfect summer day."

So here is how my perfect summer day goes: First I wake up around 5:30 and sneak in a chapter or two of the book i am reading and fall back asleep for twenty minutes. I love starting my day with a nap!
When I am really ready to wake up I pour a cup of coffee. I like to step outside and hear the birds and see what has ripened or blossomed over night. Sometimes I stand near the lavender and smell the calming scent. Other times I sit on the porch and watch the house finch feed his babies.
Before it gets too hot I go outside and pick a couple cups of raspberries. We got a ninja blender and have been enjoying smoothies. Usually I do half frozen fruit and half fresh fruit to have a nice cold smoothies that is not too thick. Now that the raspberries are ripe for picking I collect them while there is shade and add some fresh blueberries. Then I add frozen watermelon and bananas.... You know how once you cut a watermelon it fills up half your fridge? I put two cups in ziploc bags and throw about four of them in the freezer. (Sidenote: The frozen watermelon really comes in handy for this watermelon martini recipe). I do the same once the bunch of bananas ripen. I slice half a banana in a snack bag and then when I make a smoothie half my ingredients are all ready. To this I add a cup of fage fat free yogurt and half a cup of almond milk with chia seeds soaked in them. Yum!
Around 8o'clock L, O and I head over to the tennis courts. We play for about thirty minutes and then cross the street to the empty pool. Laurel and I do laps while Owen plays with the diving toys.
When we get home from the pool we spend some time on scout badges, the never ending summer math project and summer reading. Right now laurel and I are reading The Fault in Our Stars while Owen tries to keep up with the Grey Havens readings (That is the Tolkien Society meeting he attends.)
Before lunch I run to Costco. It really isn't a bad place to go when you are not fighting the weekend crowds! Even chores can be relaxing in the summer!
I really do like cooking when I am not too tired or busy, as is often the case when the school year and sports are in full swing. So with all the time today I can make a nice fresh salad with fresh cheese from the farmers market, chopped egg and avocado over a bed of arugula.
Now that my belly is full it just might be my favorite time of the day. I could never understand how my dad could possibly take a nap for ten minutes. Now I am just like him. I go upstairs, pull the room darkening shades, read on my nook app until my eyes get heavy and sleep for ten or fifteen minutes. I awake ready for the next shift! Of all the parts of my day the power nap might just be my favorite.
Now I come down to start dinner. Tonight we are grilling veggies and meat along with a homemade potato salad. While everything is cooking up Justin and I enjoy one of those muddled cocktails from an earlier post. We sit on the deck and have a few minutes of catching up before the whole family sits down for dinner. After dinner we hop on our bikes for a nice ride around town. I love all the bike trails and paths. We wrap up the night with a
board game or a movie- tonight we enjoyed Settlers of Catan. So there you have it- my idea of a perfect summer day. Hope you all get to have one before summer slips away!

Summer Hikes

This summer I tried to do at least one good hike a week. Below are the names of the hikes and a favorite picture from the hike.

Royal Arch- Chautauqua Park, Boulder

Flat iron one- Chautauqua Park, Boulder
View of the Indian Peaks at top of Flat Iron One

Brainerd Lake - summer road was still closed so we had to park at the winter parking area.

Lake Isabelle- Trailhead at Brainard Lake. I think this was my favorite hike of the summer.

NCAR- Trailhead is at the National Center for Atmospheric Research

Loch Vale- Glacier Gorge Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park