I have no idea what happened to summer. As soon as school was out, we had major construction projects going on. Then in July we went to the Big Island of Hawaii for a much-needed vacation in the vog, and then spent several weeks at home while the sky and air was filled with wildfire smoke, trying to downsize my huge collection of cacti and succulents so that I don’t have to figure out where to put them all when the weather gets cold. On top of it, there was our summer sale, with frenzied packing and shipping for a month. Now I’m one week back into teaching the intensive 4-week course that I do each year. So much for summer.
As I type this, I see that the leaves on the maple tree outside my window are turning yellow. I don’t know if it is because the weather was warmer and drier than usual (I don’t think so), or whether it is an effect of the smoke. This tree normally doesn’t lose its leaves until the middle of November, so I don’t know what’s going on with it.
Yesterday was the first mostly smoke-free day we’ve had, and it was good to see blue sky. This morning it looks like the smoke may be coming back. Smoke in summer seems to be the new normal.
I’ve been trying to upgrade my perfume studio with new shelving and storage for bottles, stock, and labels. It’s an ongoing process. To celebrate the fact that I now have storage space with easy access to printed bottles, I’m offering a huge end of summer giveaway. Leave any sort of comment about your summer or anything else that strikes your fancy, and be entered in a drawing for 100 g of perfume samples along with other random things including creams and lotions, facial cleansers, cosmetics, and who knows what else.
[Photos are mine, taken on the Big Island]
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That sounds like an immensely productive summer! I'm unwilling to accept that it's almost over, although today it's around 38 celsius with the humidity so maybe it's not such a bad thing. Thank you for the draw!
ReplyDeleteJen, Thanks for commenting! I don't want summer to be over either, especially given that it's not hot or humid here. You're entered in the draw.
DeleteSummer did fly by. Yours sounded busy but fun. Sorry to hear about the leaves on the trees. That does sound concerning. I hope it is only a fluke. Summer is my favorite time of year because I get to spend it with my two girls since I have summers off. We went swimming in springs and at the beach and had little day adventures.
ReplyDeleteJulie, Your summer sounds fun and relaxing. You're entered in the drawing.
Delete2018: The Summer of ... what exactly, in the UK? It's been confusing. On the one hand: utter panic about global warming "our burning earth", the melting planet etc - we had weeks of blazing sunshine and temperatures above 30C, which is absolutely NOT the norm. Then England (temporarily) did well in the World Cup, which isn't the norm either. What strangeness was afoot?
ReplyDeleteBut then all reverted to form, and sort of reassured us Brits, when the August Bank Holiday (last Monday of the month) decided to do its traditional thing: damp cold with lashing rain. Ahh, sweet relief.
P Hope, The weather is indeed strange everywhere. Congratulations on the success in the World Cup. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteHappy for you...a vacation is nice. My summer has been dry, hardly any rain. My garden's thirsty for rainwater not hosewater :^) LOL
ReplyDeleteMary, Our garden is VERY thirsty, with no real rain since June. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteOur summer here in Southern Spain has been a little unusual too. July was strangely cool, then temperatures at the beginning of August went up to 115°, then we had a plague of jellyfish for two weeks. I can’t resist swimming in the ocean, so I got stung. We still have a couple of weeks left on the coast and now the weather is perfect and the water is safe. Thanks for this opportunity!
ReplyDeleteMary Anne, I hope the 115 degrees was not Celsius! I suppose jellyfish are better than the toxic algae they're having in Florida. You're entered in the drawing.
Deleteoh my God..so hot and humid here in Montreal looking for air-conditioned places, eating ice creams and wearing colognes
ReplyDeleteRichard, Wearing cologne! That's as good a way as any to help beat the heat. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteI live in Atlanta, so the end of summer temperatures is something to be celebrated... when it finally happens. Fall is probably my favorite season. I love the excitement and feeling of adventure in the air, and I love getting to wear boots and sweaters again--and rotate my perfumes to the darker, cuddlier ones!
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I really don't envy you being in Atlanta in the summer! You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteI'm so excited for summer to be over! Not least because we need some help putting out the fires here in the Pacific Northwest. It feels like our summers are getting hotter and conversely that our winters are getting cooler, so autumn and spring are my favourite times of year.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favourite memory from Hawaii? I'd really like to go someday.
Toby, It's also my impression that the summers here are getting warmer and the winters colder. It's hard to say what my favorite memory of Hawaii was - probably the enormous diversity on the Big Island, from desert-like landscape to tropical jungle, all within a few miles. You're entered in the drawing.
Deletehere in Poland summer was also full of surprises. Cool and rainy June and July forced me to find warm clothes in the wardrobe. And the extremely hot August with temperatures up to 35C.. I'm already waiting for autumn with pretty cool and foggy mornings but warm and full of sun days, to wear my lovely knitting scarves and 'heavy' fragrances
ReplyDeleteJulia, I hope fall comes soon in Poland so that you can wear your winter clothes and fragrances! You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteWe had lots of life changes this summmer. It feels like I spent most of the time preparing for one thing or the other. The oppressive weather didn’t help. I’m happy to welcome autumn and some cooler weather.
ReplyDeleteAnne, Life changes can be fun or stressful. I hope yours were not too bad. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteOther than 2 weeks at the seaside, I'm not sure summer really happened this year :)
ReplyDeleteTwo weeks at the seaside is better than nothing. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteI'm ready for summer to be over. We either had days of never-ending rain or heatwaves where I live. It was impossible to plan anything. Unfortunately, I don't see an end in sight to the present hot weather. Maybe by October!
ReplyDeleteTriniti, Heat waves AND rain sounds awful! You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteI just realized that all of my comments were showing up as "unknown", so had to sign up again with Blogger. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteSummer did go by way too fast, I am glad its coming to an end, because fall is my fave! Hawaii sounds like fun, its great that had a nice vacay aside from the wild fires! Hopefully fall will bring great new experiences!
ReplyDeleteNelle, the wildfire smoke happened just after we got back from Hawaii, but it's mostly gone now. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteI haven’t done anything yet. This weekend I’m going to the lake so let summer begin :)
ReplyDeleteAnita, better late than never! You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteIt has been a long summer for me in Warsaw, spent reading mostly, with an interweaving thread of stories of one thousand and one nights - nad as I still have around a hundred left to read, I can’t consider summer finished yet, even if it’d be for all the autumnal greyness outside.
ReplyDeleteAlek, reading is one of my favorite activities. A reading vacation sounds delightful. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteI guess it figures, since you’ve got a series of perfumes inspired by a novel! And thank you!
DeleteOur Summer was unbelievably strange in California… all blues, smoke and sound. These last few months have drifted in, lingered in the air, and then passed by, all without the slightest feeling of time passing. Summer soundtracks featured classic Nick Drake, Nina Simone, Betty Carter, Vashti Bunyan, Sibylle Baier, and Sarah Vaughan… playing against SZA, Janelle Monae, Parliament and new Chaka Khan, all on repeat. Looking forward to winter… perhaps this is the year to travel to see the Aurora Borealis.
ReplyDeleteWill, you're in the drawing.
DeleteI'm not sure that I'm in time for the giveaway, but I felt compelled to comment anyway because I've been sad to hear about the raging wildfires this year, and the early turning of leaves out west (I'm an east coaster) bums me out on a selfish level - I'm going to visit Colorado for the first time and I think the aspens will have all dropped their leaves by the time I make it out there. I am just done with summer. Here in Maryland, it's been much wetter and rainier than usual, which means that the mosquitoes have gone from general nuisance to plague levels.
ReplyDeleteI just tired a sample of Olympic Rainforest perfume, and it's really lovely. I am looking forward to trying more of your scents! :)
Magpie, due to my procrastination you're in the drawing.
DeleteBeautiful waterfall, thanks for the update
ReplyDelete