This year we decided to hold a small ceremony here on Solstice eve, rather than a big whingdig. Glad we did too, as there’s another party friends and a former podmate are holding from noon on about 30 minutes away — which includes bathing in a beautiful forest pond.

Thursday’s Community Dinner finally saw our numbers begin to climb towards “normal” — as if there’s anything “normal” during this period of extreme global turbulence — which surprised both podmate Annie and me, since we thought we might be the only two attending, given that no one else who lives in these three houses was either in town or available. So we laughed, while cleaning the back patio, at about 5:30 p.m. on yet another day of extreme humid heat which has driven just about everyone inside. 

Oh well! As Annie put it, “The two of us can enjoy your chicken and my potato salad.” Yep! 

But . . . we were wrong. Very wrong. To our delight! By the time 7 PM arrived, so did friends and neighbors begin to trickle in, to the point where, at 7:30, you’d never have known that a few hours earlier, we assumed we’d likely be alone.

You can’t see it, but I had turned on the sprinkler on the lawn, for those who needed to cool off. Several people did, including myself. 

Then, the next day, a timid knock at the door. Who’s that?

It’s sweet Ollie in a warrior teeshirt! With a beautiful sign!

“Would you like some lemonade?” 

“Sure!” I went to fetch a $5 bill, knowing it would blow him away.

Big grin . . . he ran down the steps.

Next . . .

Carisa, from across the street, arrived with the sign, both kids, and a tiny cone shaped vessel holding RHUBARB lemonade!

“Have you ever had rhubarb lemonade?” 

“No!” 

“YOU get free refills.”

She handed it to me. Delicious!

And then she proceeded to spell out the sign, reproduced here larger, and almost clear enough . . .

There are three “funds” she explained. The first is for a project that is dear to their hearts. And they decided SNAKE. (Is there a snake project nearby? I didn’t think to ask at the time). The second is for something they want to make. They decided LEGOS. And the third is for a larger project, and she decided on: RHINOCEROS. (I presume at a zoo?)

Ollie exclaimed: “I just love animals!”

Young Wyatt eagerly pointed to the legos, and chortled. I want legos! Carisa and I laughed. Nothing like teaching young ones to “share the wealth” early on, even though, like most adults, they can’t help but focus on the self-centered reward.

I pointed to the Sarkissians next door. “Go there, too! “And go offer some to Colin!” (Next door, the other side.)

“OKAY!”

Earlier that day I had taken a rare shot with both Tiger and Shadow, lounging, side by side.

Tiger is Ollie’s favorite. When Ollie is frustrated, instead of screaming, he runs outside to grab Tiger, and they roll around on the grass together. Tiger is Ollie’s “service animal.”

Others in the neighborhood also favor Tiger. In fact, some new people who moved in nearby the other day told me that they love Tiger! (He gets around.) “Yes,” I replied. He’s unfaithful!”

Yesterday, Shadow and I were taking a short evening walk when Mary and Abby, who live down the street, stopped their car and asked: “Do you have any extra kombucha bottles? You know, the kind that have a rubber top that pops off?”

“Probably. Dan probably left some there. Just check in my basement.” 

“Okay!” They zoomed off. 

I’ll end this little tale with two shots of flowers, first, Asiatic lilies —

— and something that podmate Joseph’s phone app identified as “loosestrife.” Never heard of it! And never seen it before either, until some bird brought it into the patio area. Likely medicinal in some way. Most plants are.

Just looked it up. No wonder it came in on its own. It’s officially an “invasive,” and spreads easily. Okay. We’ll watch it, and watch out!

On extreme left above is a plant that I can’t remember the name of right now, but often put its leaves in my salads.