Tuesday Tidbits #378 Got ‘er Done!

~ Nancy

☀️Summer has officially arrived.☀️

The summer solstice was such a truly magical evening! I loved celebrating the longest day of the year, and I even spotted a firefly or two while I was out front watching the beautiful sunset.

The Tree is Gone!

I got ‘er done. The tree is all gone! Yahoo! It wasn’t quite as easy as I imagined, but it’s finished. I Did It! And now? My reward has been beautiful sunrises streaming through the kitchen window. I’d say that was worth the effort.

I heard through the grapevine that the evergreen trees might be coming down. If so, I will have a clear view of the sunrise.

Father’s Day

We celebrated Father’s Day with family. We saw the little guy and had lots of fun! How was your Father’s Day? 

Recreated by AI.

When we got home from being with family I made a delicious meal of spaghetti. We enjoyed a bottle of red wine from a winery we went to several years ago in Napa. We reminisced about that beautiful Napa Valley visit. Then we finished everything off with strawberry shortcake dessert. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Outdoor Concert

We tried something new—a Fleetwood Mac tribute concert at Port Farms. It was our first visit there, and despite the rain, we had a wonderful evening. (A little rain seems to be the theme around here lately! It rained again yesterday. And it’s been chilly!)

Lots of seasonal events take place here such as Flower Festivals, Pick Your Own Bouquet parties, Autumn Fun, and they have their own Christmas Tree Farm. It is also an event place for weddings and parties. A big beautiful area!

Boating

We squeezed in a boat ride this week, too. In between the raindrops.

A great blue heron stood watch along the shoreline, and to my surprise, we spotted a cormorant. They’re usually our fall visitors, so seeing one made me wonder if it simply got an early start because of the chilly weather or maybe it’s taking its sweet time heading north.

Cormorant in his favorite tree.

Summer Bucket List

The Summer Solstice arrived, bringing my favorite stretch of the year and nearly sixteen hours of daylight. I love the long evenings when it feels like there’s still time for a backyard fire, a boat ride on the lake, one more walk around the yard or more porch sitting. It’s a little bittersweet knowing the days slowly begin getting shorter now, but I’m determined to soak up every extra minute.

Out for an evening boat ride.

Speaking of soaking up summer…

Is anyone else feeling the gentle pressure of a summer bucket list? Every year I tell myself not to overdo it, yet I still have a running list in my head.

Mine looks something like this:

Truth be told, I probably won’t check every thing off my list. And that’s okay.

I don’t want to be so busy making summer plans that I miss the summer day that I am living in. 

“Summer doesn’t ask us to do more. It simply invites us to notice more.” ~unknown

Summer isn’t about our to-do list. It’s all about sunrises through the window, boat rides, family laughter, evenings around a fire with friends, and those ordinary little moments we remember long after Summer says goodbye.

Here’s to making this summer a good one.

“Some of the best days aren’t planned. They simply unfold.” ~unknown 

Thank You

So here’s to summer—unfolding slowly, one ordinary moment at a time. And trusting that the best parts of summer will be the ones I didn’t plan for.

And a great big thank you to all of you for taking time out of your busy summer schedule to come visit us over here at Two Trails One Road.

Linking up with Terri from Sunday Stills

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Two Trails become One Road in Arizona. Read All About the Adventures of this Arizonian.

35 thoughts on “Tuesday Tidbits #378 Got ‘er Done!”

  1. A lovely tribute to summer and the love you have for it!! Enjoyed reading about what you’ve been doing, your thoughts pertaining to each one, and of course seeing the beautiful photos of your adventures and life in and around your lake house in PA. So much goodness- family time is the best and what a good idea to use an AI rendering to depict your most special little guy. The event center sounds lovely and your views around the lake are stunning. Happy Summer to you!!

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    1. Thank you, Maria. I think the picture of our little guy looks like a Norman Rockwell.
      And here’s to a great summer!

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  3. Nancy, your week sounds so lovely! Spending time with your grandson has to be the most wonderful! You are a gutsy one to take that tree down, congratulations. Concerts are always fun, Butch and I have seen so many artists over the years. We are a music family and love a great concert. Your bucket list seems attainable at your own pace.

    I always look forward to your Tuesday Tidbits. Enjoy your week my friend!

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    1. Thank you sweet Pam! It was a lovely week. Thanks so much for your sweet visit! I also enjoyed my tea time over at your place this morning. Happy Trails to you on this beautiful Tuesday!✨☀️✨

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  4. I love every bit of your summer holiday! That’s a big bucket list but I have a feeling you already have a few checked off! The concert looks really fun and a terrific venue. And oh, that gorgeous heron. Your wine looks lovely, too. We head to the lake this week. (Well, Rick is on the way, cycling the scenic route.) There will be much to do when I get there but I’m excited!

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    1. Oh Jeanie! I am so glad you are headed to the lake! Enjoy! And remember, it will all get done. Happy Tuesday! Thanks for the visit. ✨☀️✨

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  5. Ahh, the wonderful life of long summer days! You really do live the dream, Nancy! Wonderful photos of nature and wildlife. Your wild grandchild is growing so fast, too! I like the idea of a list of things to try to do and see for each season. I’m glad you removed the tree and were rewarded with such an amazing view. We took several tall window blinds down (8 feet tall blinds break too easy), and I installed curtains. It’s like I opened the house up and can see the pine forested mountains from every window now. Enjoy your long summer days, my friend!!

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  6. Beautiful photos Nancy…I think your grand’s photo revised/enhanced by AI does look like a Norman Rockwell picture. I guess this ages me, but I miss the way Norman Rockwell could take a scene and make the reader a part of it…I don’t see much ‘art’ like that anymore. I am puzzled by the abstract depictions because I never know what they represent. LOL. Bucket Lists are nice, and yours is lovely, but I find the things the Captain and I do spur of the moment mean more to me… even if it is the same thing we did last week…does that make sense? Fortunately, at our age, we have pretty much ‘been there-done that’ so something as simple as sitting in the Secret Garden with an icy cold drink, reminiscing of some of those times is more full-filling. My daughter just got back from a 15 day trip to Europe, including Scotland and Ireland and she said to me…”Mom, don’t you want to go back?” And I surprised her by saying “No, three times is quite enough for me.” Nancy, you depicted your Summer week as it should be…and your ‘unknown’ Summer quotes say it perfectly. 🥰🇺🇸❤️🤍💙🤗🇺🇸

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  7. Hello Nancy,
    We are two peas in a pod. I love the Summer Solstice. We celebrate it, this year we went for an evening walk with our dog Ernie. One of my favorite memories was kayaking on the lake as the sun set. I am also with you, I get a bit melancholy because I know the days are going to get shorter.
    I am a fan of Fleetwood Mac, I would have enjoyed the concert.
    Thank you for sharing the photos.
    Enjoy Summer!

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    1. I love, love, love summertime! I am so glad that you and I are two peas in a pod when it comes to summertime fun. Here’s to Summer my friend!

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  8. Congratulations on getting that tree down! Superwoman! Enjoy your summer. You can check off “sunrise…sunset” as you enjoy them each day. Your heron is beautiful.

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  9. Nancy, I had to smile at your title…there’s definitely a great feeling of satisfaction when you can say, “Got ‘er done!” 😊 I enjoyed catching up on your week and seeing all the little glimpses of summer life. You always have a wonderful way of reminding us to appreciate the simple joys, even in the midst of chores and to-do lists. We’ll gladly take some of your rain and chilly temps as our heat index has been in the triple digits! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!🌸☀️💛

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  10. Ahhh…your summer bucket list. It’s a good one! And I loved the spaghetti and strawberry shortcake menu items…mmm….sounds so yummy, Nancy. Lou. Congrats on winning the Paul Bunyan award, too! Finally, eh? Timmmm—–berrrrrrr! 😜💝😜

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    1. I love it!!
      I took a picture of a statue of a lumberjack up in Michigan last sumner. Darn I should have posted that!!
      Hmmmm. I still may!
      Thank you Vicki Lou!
      🪚🌳🪾

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  11. Your bucket list seems like it would be the perfect way to spend a summer. Also, I love trees, but I adore sunsets too. You can’t go wrong with a view of either one! Take care and keep on enjoying your summer.

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    1. I love trees too but this one had some sort of a disease and this Spring it was just dreadful! So down it came!
      Thank you for all the love!
      Happy Day to You!
      ✨☀️✨

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  13. Hooray for you, Nancy, in getting your tree down!! We are determined to get things done, aren’t we? Your views are so outstanding and likely will get even better if the pines come down. I, however, like the silhouettes of the trees. You must’ve had the best day with your little guy and then a perfect meal at the end of the day. Enjoy each and every day of summer, especially that hot fudge sundae! Hugs, Kitty

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  14. What wonderful summer days you are having…AND accomplishments!!!
    I LOVE Fleetwood Mac! Thank you for your wonderful thoughts and fun bucket list ideas…

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  15. Happy summer solstice and [nearly] strawberry full moon, Nancy! Your way of taking in the solstice was perfect. I love the long days, even though sometimes I get in bed before the last light has disappeared. 😊Garden planting is still happening. I’m like a cat lady, only with plants, when I go to Lowes. I can’t seem to leave without something to plant. I think that’s because we’ve had mild temps (as summer goes), plus rain, but I think that’s about to change for us this coming week when temps are to hit near 100° before the real feel of humidity.
    Have a restful Sunday!

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    1. Oh, Rita, I love your analogy about being a plant lady like a cat lady. And there is nothing wrong with that. ☺️ I have a little secret to tell you. I, too, sometimes go to bed before it gets dark. 😉
      Stay cool and hydrated, Rita! It’s going to get hot!

      Reply

Thank You So Much... for sharing your kind words. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to share your thoughts.