Life at our little house in Maryland has returned to normal. My husband came home, took some time off to spend with us and see his family, and is now back at work. School is winding down and will be done in another week.

Summer is around the corner.

I am currently sitting outside on this sunny, wonderful 80 degree day. With the breeze it feels about 75. A yellow swallowtail just flew by, it’s up and down flight almost making contact with my computer screen.

In April and May, we watched the tulips and daffodils and the grand-daddy maple out front bloom and die off just in time for the lily-of-the-valley and peonies to replace them.

My rose bushes out front just bloomed today and my clematis’s first blooms are gone but the second round isn’t far behind.

We have been playing and watching a lot of softball, with my daughter’s season winding down last night. There is something about a cool spring evening made more perfect by watching your kid and her friend’s cheer and learn and play and grow and win and lose and have fun. Those evenings are even better when followed by cold, creamy, ice cream.

The bluebirds. Sigh. The bluebirds are simply spectacular.

We went hiking last weekend to Cascade Falls in Patapsco Park. Full-on July summer heat arrived for two days and the 4 mile hike didn’t feel so far once that cold water hit our toes and knees.

We found this guy while hiking…

And later, we found this guy while playing catch in the backyard…

At work the wildflowers are in full bloom and everyday as I wind down the path to my office, new ones appear.

And the pond is home to at least 12 green frogs which call all day long, as loud as they can possibly be, and I love to eat my lunch beside them and listen.

The calendar says summer is only two weeks away. I just skipped inside to put a sweatshirt on.

If this cool, dry, breezy weather is the beginning of summer, I’ll take it every day of the week.