Summer arrived this week. Here in New Mexico, it brought dramatic weather (hail the size of limes) and devastating wildfires. I'm hoping it got all that nasty stuff out of its system and things can calm down so we can enjoy the season.

Summer

Triple digits and chirping crickets
Summer has arrived
Evening barbeques and swimming pools
Lots of time outside
 
Sunflowers and afternoon showers
Picnics at lakeside
Poisonous plants and stinging red ants
Bugs I can’t abide
 
Vacation days and sunsets ablaze
Weekly chores can slide
As we sit back and peacefully track
Summer’s long hot ride 

Sudden Stops

 This week I unexpectedly lost a very dear friend.  

Sudden Stops

Sudden stops can be jarring
We expect bumps along life’s road
We expect hills to be climbed
We anticipate the long way down
A slow and steady decline
But when death comes abruptly
Like slamming on the brakes
It jerks us with the sudden shock
Of the loss and what it takes

In memory of Jackie Haile. Lover of books, mystery television shows, travel, Scotland, her dogs, and most of all, her husband and life companion, Jim. She will be deeply missed.