Cool weather and more

Poppies on their way out

Yesterday, while walking with my friend Steve in one of our favorite places, the Harbor, I saw these poppies looking rather, um, spent. I wasn't sure when I saw the big round balls whether they were getting ready to bloom, or had already done so. A passerby answered my question, and said that these are almost all past their bloom, and that they would be great to harvest and take out the seeds. She said that when they are completely ready, they would rattle. These were just plants growing wild by the side of the road, and although very pretty, I guess they are just unplanted weeds. (Shhh! I don't think they are really weeds, but I remember learning that any plants, no matter how beautiful, that are volunteers, are considered to be weeds by some.) We live in such an abundance of trees, flowers, and plants that don't actually seem to need anybody to deem them beautiful in order to flourish and beautify their surroundings. 

When we started our walk, it was downright cold, with a brisk wind and the temperature not even reaching the low fifties (10C). I was dressed for it but I was certainly surprised by the frigid conditions, considering that we are just a few days away from the summer solstice. It happens on the 20th at 7:42pm here, and then the days will slowly begin to shorten and the nights lengthen. I remember hearing, when I first moved here in 2008, that summer usually doesn't start until after Independence Day (July 4th). I think that may be accurate for this year. I sure hope we have a cool-ish mild summer, rather than the incredible heat waves that some places will experience. I much prefer the coolness and often retreat indoors to the cooler weather. The older I get, the more I seem to suffer from excess heat. 

Today is Daddy's Day, for all the dads around the country. Is it global, this celebration, or is it something that people made up to sell stuff? I'm not sure, but I have been thinking about my own dad, who left us long ago (back in 1979) of a heart attack. The bane of our genetic family history: my sister also died prematurely from it, as well as my son Chris, and it's one of the reasons I started jogging in my thirties, to keep my heart healthy. I also don't eat red meat and haven't for decades now. My cholesterol is kept in check by a statin, and I don't have high blood pressure any more. At one time I did and the other day it was high at the dentist's office. I put some new batteries into my home BP cuff and have been keeping track of it since. It's normal once again, most of the time right around 125/70. Not bad for an octogenarian.

Yesterday was the rally that some called "No Kings" Day, to coincide with the events in Washington, DC, to celebrate the 250th birthday of the Army. It also was Trump's birthday, and although it rained at times, there were countless troops and tanks at the Washington Mall. At the same time, thousands of protest rallies were being held across the country, with somewhere around six million people marching. Here in our little town of Bellingham, we had a huge turnout, and by the early afternoon the clouds dissipated and the sun warmed the air.

Bellingham's No Kings rally

I snagged this picture off of a Facebook post. I didn't actually march myself, as I stayed home after our walk, feeling a little bit of pain in my left knee. I figured there would be plenty of participants, and I was right. It didn't start until late in the afternoon, and by that time I was ensconced in my favorite chair and ready to unwind from a very full day.

John will come to get me in an hour, and we'll head off to Fairhaven to enjoy our usual Sunday breakfast. Being a creature of habit, I sure did miss John last week, when he went out with some other friends, leaving me to have breakfast a little later than usual with my sweetheart at home. I do hope that John and I will once again visit our favorite restaurant today. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead, and that you will also find some family, or critters, or whoever to enjoy it with. Life is stressful for many of us these days, but things are looking up. Until we meet again next week, dear friends, I wish you all good things. Be well.