I am taking pleasure in small things, as the summer winds down; on Monday we visited with friends near Montreal, and I thought this photo of their boys really illustrated the joys of youthfulness!

The house is decorated in flowers: yellow and orange-red gladiolas, not that I grew but which were very inexpensive ('tis the season) and the yellow wildflowers that proliferate against our side fence. They don't last long once you cut them but they bloom so vigorously, spreading every year, that I am happy to bring in a few to put in my special 'Saskatchewan' vase, collected two summers ago at a coffee shop at Manitou Lake, while travelling with a good friend.

It is also corn season, and fruits in abundance: peach, plum, watermelon and honeydew. But mostly there is the delight of going out to gather tomatoes. This year I do not have really big ones but we are enjoying the little Romas in our salads. Hot and sweet from the garden, they have been plenteous: my eldest daughter even used some for spaghetti sauce, rather than the usual canned variety, and how lovely it was to know that the richness was from the ground in the backyard. If ever Bernie and I are able to have a small acreage, I think my gardening skills will increase. I like being out there so much, unless the weeds get out of hand, and even then, I pull away at them with a certain energy.

The rain has refreshed us, it is still very warm, and it is the weekend. This does not mean much to me, since I work at home, but it means I will have more companions here, and we are expecting a good friend on Sunday, so I am again counting blessings.