July 30 - I Am Grateful For A Three-Day Sleepover And An Easy Night Over Chinese Food Despite Lee's Painful Foot

In my cousin's house
If I had a steamer chest
I'd be Grandma Chow

July 29 - I Will Summon The Forces Of Scattered Family And Move You Out Of This Negative Space

I see you, grandson
Shed the chains of this damn place
Life awaits elsewhere

July 28 - A Hot, Hot Day In July With My Crowd-Averse Daughter And Kim's Hibiscus Tea Recipe

I could river-swim
Or I could pool-float with Reg
Chatting in the sun

July 27 - When The End Of A Housesit Coincides With A Trip Up-Island And An Agreed-Upon Extra Day At Work That Seemed Like A Perfectly Good Idea At The Time

Gone from the huge house
Car packed with all that I own
Hot work day, hotter drive

July 26 - Nothing To Do But Do Nothing All Day At Willows. Also, Paul Goes Away For Much Too Long

A perfect beach day
My sun buddy and I lounge
Oops, those thighs are pink

July 25 - A Phenomenal Amount Of My Time Goes To Other People's Gardens And Pet

Sick of dry gardens
Funny thing, to give up stuff
Then pile on the world's

July 24 - It's Like We've Rebuilt This Car From The Tires Up

Car-repair shop calls
News is less grim than we thought
but worsens later

July 23 - A Visit To The House With The Fork-And-Spoon Bird To Pick Up The Keys

Camper van's fancy
My eyes are for the back deck
One-month gig, no pets!

July 22 - One Large Property And Another Very Hot One Demand Much Time In Mid-July

Gardens are burdens
Still, the flow of water soothes
The plants look thankful

July 21 - Collecting My Photos Of Banksy, Picking Paul Up At The Airport, All Of It Too Much

Tears in the morning
For all the sadness and loss
All the grieving hearts

July 20 - The Reunion Trip Appears To Have Opened R's Eyes To How Quickly Everything Can Change

The flight unnerved R
She clings, shaken to have learned
that nothing's certain

July 19 - The Day Paul's Mom Died

Do I feel her pass?
A breath of wind, leaves rustling
Safe travels, mother

July 18 - A Night When Being In The Midst Of Other People's Friends Brings Home The Fact That I Don't Really Have People Like This In My Own Life Outside Of Family

Kim has a party
I eat too much and stay late
Missing my loner

July 17 - First Night At The Maclure Manse While Tragedy Happens On A Dangerous Road Up-Island

Banksy died tonight
Dear boy, our hearts are breaking
You are beloved

July 16 - Home Again, Home Again, Where Tracy's Yard Is Looking Very Dry

The plane parts go well
The airport lines? Not so much
Thank you, Paw Patrol

July 15 - A Loosely Structured Day Lets Us Get To Kinsman Park, Though It's Too Windy For The Ferris Wheel

Breakfast, then the pool
Chinese dinner too noisy
Goodbyes underway

July 14 - Ever Tried To Knock Over A Water Bottle With Panty Hose And Tennis Balls Hung Between Your Legs? And That Was Just The First Relay

Meaty thighs work well
for carrying potatoes
Kids and grownups dance

July 13 - The Forestry Farm Features An Unusual Collection Of Creatures And Enough Sprinklers To Keep R Cool On A Sweltering Day

We all love a zoo
The meerkats need a sunroof
Wise to go early

July 12 - And Off We Go With The Three-Year-Old To Saskatchewan

The girl's first plane ride
She's excited but nervous
That seems sensible

July 11 - When Travel Meets Housesitting Meets Unexpected Family Developments, You Just Gotta Pack Light

One-day turnaround
Nothing is solid right now
We must be weightless

July 10 - Home Again, Home Again, For Once Benefiting From Colwood Digs

Oh for pete's sake - sun?
I'll mow the lawn and dead-head
Should have camped right here

July 9 - And Now We're Four, Which Turns Out To Be A Very Good Thing In Terms Of More People To Tear Down Our Sopping Wet Camp

Mini-golf meetup
While we're gone, the rain pours down
Run for the Valley

July 8 - Like A Good Grandmother, I Swim Up Into The Icy Zone To Verify No Rocks Below And Suitable Depth

What is it with boys?
If a high jump's good, higher
is surely better

July 7 - Why Do I Always Pick Mid-Island For Hangouts When I Know The Weather Will Almost Certainly Be Questionable?

North for one more boy
Rain motivates me to try
This time, the tarp works

July 6 - The Englishman River Adventure Begins Under Somewhat Ominous Skies

Off on a boy run
We grab tent and groceries
The tarp defeats me

July 5 - A Double Packup To Prepare For Stranding Paul In Colwood While I Go Camping

Car's going to be stuffed
Theo slumps, distressed by bags
The gypsies move on

July 4 - A Tent In A Quiet Part Of Englishman River Park Is Sounding Pretty Good Right Now

What, another guest?
Too much for two introverts
All verbal ping-pong

July 3 - It Feels Like All Our Visits Nowadays Are One-Way Conversations That Involve Us Receiving But Rarely Invited To Speak

More socializing
What's with the monologuists?
Listening: Lost art

July 2 - Me, The Piano And Paul

Each night I will sing
for my audience of one
Sad songs and waltzes

July 1 - Our Canada Day Plans Change When The Weather Gets Touchy, Even Though We Still Get In Some Great Backyard Time

Alas, no whale tour
Too windy. We'd freeze out there
Let there be ling cod