Welcome Summer!

Around these parts the beginning of June marks the beginning of summer.  School is out, vacations have begun, and our days are warm, long, and sunny.   

Summer is a good time for Paul's ska band to perform since the college-going members are all back in town.   Friday night they played for the North Boulder Art Walk, in front of the Hoi Polloi art workshop and gallery.  It was a beautiful night and a great time. 

Check out that evening sky.  As you can see, parts of North Boulder are industrial, with cheaper rents that appeal to artists of all sorts.   

In the summer the Boulder Farmer's Market is open on Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights.  I haven't been a fan, finding it too crowded for my taste, but I went down Saturday morning and realized that if you come early it's quite pleasant.  And one stand had locally grown strawberries, much smaller than grocery store ones and far more tasty.  It reminded me of picking strawberries in the fields with my mother way back in the 70's, before the field was bought and developed for suburban housing.  

I loved this sign about pigs.  Since I couldn't decide if I wanted a whole, half, or roaster, I didn't buy any!  

The market is by the Boulder Creek Path and I had fun people watching as I walked home.  Seeing this father and son together reminded me of the old days with Paul.

As did this little car graveyard I saw next to sidewalk of a house as I walked home.   I wonder if the folks who bought our house in Maryland find Batman figures in the weeds as they garden.  If so, I hope it makes them smile.  

The kid's summer nature camp has opened up again at Chautauqua with parents checking in their children and the kids playing on the lawn... 

 ...and the wildflowers are blooming in the meadows in front of the Flatirons.

Roses and iris and peonies are all blooming like crazy now. A flower that we didn't have back east and which I love is the poppy.  They are amazing, whether you're looking at the exterior... 

...or the interior.  

 Of course summer will be a great time for enjoying our new patio.  The carpenter finished his work on Saturday and the gutters should be fixed tomorrow.  Some replacement sod pieces are going in soon and the porta-potty that the workmen used is set to be hauled off today or tomorrow.  And then we're all done!

Our good weather has been perfect for Paul's new project, spray paint art.  He had seen an artist doing it in Paris about six years ago and recently began to watch instruction videos on YouTube.  Before we knew it he had a dozen cans of paint, a work table in the garage,  had commandeered my respirator (bought for me to use when dying fabric and never opened!) and was busy creating art. 

He started off making space-themed images...

...and now is adding mountains and ocean. 

Each of the pieces is about 11 x 14".  Aunt Dawn bought two pieces the other day, giving Paul the idea of trying to sell them.  He was encouraged by the Hoi Polloi gallery owner who offered him gallery space at the August Art Walk.  We'll see what happens!  You never know what fun the summer will bring.