It is the time of year that can easily be referred to as the height of summer. I’m riding the wave, knowing that pretty soon I’ll be hitting the shore. Cowabunga and surf’s up. The fireweed is out – it creeps up the stalk. It’s purple, dazzling. Tonight we rode through, and alongside fields of it. It will top out, I think, in a few weeks.

The yard in the upper quadrant is green and fuzzy – the chamomile is in full bloom. The cow parsnip has topped out, it has huge seed pods and when they open, they are white and somewhat lacy, like Queen Anne’s Lace.

It’s interesting watching the horses eat. They are selective. They will go for the white clover and the plantain, but much prefer the green grass.

They also, when we are riding trails, go for the timothy by the side of the trails. They are fed timothy and poop the seeds on the trail, this is why we have this particular grass where we ride. And there are watermelon berry plants – the first of the watermelon berries are out. All the horses love to eat them.

And let us not forget the Monks Hood – small purple flowers that resemble women’s clitorises, or is it clitori? Monkshood is reputed to be poisonous – the horses avoid it. I once ate some – it’s very bitter and for this reason hard to swallow.

I am waiting for the lilies in the upper garden to bloom.

Pete gave me the first tomato of the season yesterday, and I ate it today. This was my second first tomato sampling. Store bought tomatoes do not compare to home grown ones.

We have been eating kale, strawberries, home grown lettuce, and last year’s salmon. The growing season here is short and very intense. I’m glad it’s not dragged out, or else Pete would get nothing else done. Oh yes, we’ll also soon have raspberries. I am the one who picks them.

I don’t know how the bees are doing. Pete’s going to check them tomorrow. The colder weather may not have been to their liking, so they may not have produced as much honey as they might if they were in the Lower 48. Just their luck, to end up here.

I did work on Shelf Life today. I revised what I wrote about getting the Center for the Book Award. I am going to speculate about my doing a TED talk, and this is going to be my conclusion. I’m now letting my subconscious work on this. I think that I’ll end up first writing my draft of this section by hand. This way I am less apt to self-edit.

My biographer Christopher Benson recently told me that he spends more time revising than writing. I said to him that I’m the same way. One of the many myths of writing is that writers put down what comes out of their head and it’s perfect. I do sometimes still think when I’m revising that others are not particularly because some are so prolific.

I hope that I am able at some point to again focus on the composing process of writers. This will be under the umbrella of the BLBP.

Getting the book done will bring us one step closer to owning the hotel.

Next: 203. 7/27/25: Music to my Ears