Well, I was really hoping this picture would have been larger. I really need to stop relying so much on my phone to take pictures. They really aren't as great as the photos I get with my camera.

Anyway, I spent my afternoon on a river in Washington state. It was beautiful. I went with my friend and her dog and I'm pretty sure her dog is passed out for the rest of the night. Maybe even the rest of the day tomorrow. It was a lot of fun and the scenery was fantastic.

We had a discussion about summer in the Northwest and how lucky we are. She's from New York City and was telling me how awful the summers are there. Summer was her lest favorite season. After living in Portland the last couple of years, summer has become her favorite season. I realized how often I take these summers for granted.

This summer is different. I'm trying not to work as much. I'm trying to get outdoors more. I'm trying to soak up, and soak in, as much of summer as I can. So, when I'm sitting in my office, in the grey damp winter, I can call on my summer reserves of river trips, hikes and warm bike rides. Maybe I'll be okay with winter this year. Which, isn't really all that bad either...

I love where I live.