summer thus far

Well, so far there has been a whole lot of this: 

 And there is going to be a whole lot more as well. I've been spending most of the time that I am not at work (or in summer classes) preparing to draft my thesis proposal in August—a significant project in its own right. But that will be followed by a full fall term, and that, in turn—if all goes well—will be followed by The Year of the Thesis. So a whole lot more of the above. I'll spare you the photo of yet another pile of books. I think there are ten new ones stacked on my desk even as I write this.

However, the days right now are as long as my book piles are high, so there is still time for catching late afternoon beach time (or a morning walk there before I hit the books), and a weekend drink with friends. Such things also happen—and the sunshine lifts my heart.

On the patio of an open-to the-public sailing/kayak club on the beach near my house.

(Stripe flash mob? Nope. Just friends that all showed up to dinner wearing stripes.What are the chances?!)

Another gift comes in form of blackberries: they have just begun to ripen. My summer in Oxford introduced me to picking blackberries along the river—my original blackberry summer—and Vancouver has allowed me the unlikely opportunity to continue that tradition with overgrown blackberry bushes truly everywhere here. 

That pretty much sums up my second summer in Vancouver thus far. Lots of work, lots of study, but making a point of enjoying the sun and long days. I know they will not last nearly long enough.