Acadia, Mount Desert Island, Maine

Recipe for regrouping: grab some friends, your dog, and head back to nature. Headed up to Acadia National Park this past weekend with some friends. We camped at Blackwoods Campground with two tents, and managed to not get wet ("Stay away from the sides of the tent!"), eat some delicious food (despite some harrowing hibachi cooking, and Diane's efforts in the dark), and find all of Lucca's poo (a very necessary thing in a campground).

Met up with some other friends for some barbecue, and one of my best Fourth of July's. There were some amazing moments driving out of our misty campground, and being enveloped in sunshine — and vice versa. The weather this summer has definitely made an impact on everyone's moods. You can tell when it's finally sunny. Believe me.

We managed to hike the Acadia Mountain Trail (rated strenuous), most of the Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail (also rated strenuous, and booty-defying, considering how slippery the face was due to all. the. rain.), and swim in Echo Lake. Of course, there were jaunts into Bar Harbor for ice cream and parades, and an amazing ferry ride, or mail-boat ride depending on who you asked, to Cranberry Island — beautiful until the mosquitoes came out of hiding.

check one off the list

Ranjani Shettar. Sun-sneezers blow light bubbles.
Well, surprise, surprise! It didn't take until August to get my foot in the door of the ICA. The Street Level exhibition definitely pulled me in, especially seeing Robin Rhode's performance art up close and personal. I don't think the Anish Kapoor exhibit would have been quite the same without the crowds provided by the free Thursday nights. Walking up to his sculptures and seeing the reflections/the engaged masses really added to the experience. Loved it!

gardening

on the way back from new york, I carried this container full of herbs all the way. on the bus. on the subway. up the stairs. they were a gift from our friend, jess, and they seem to be doing well. it's amazing how different food tastes with fresh herbs added to the cooking. in one word, deeelish!

I also picked up a a couple varieties of tomato plant (in hindsight... why? but maybe I can compare/contrast), some peppers, and a couple seed packs of squash and carrots (the baby variety). It's all about the container garden, since we don't actually have any dirt around our apartment to grow veggies. it's all concrete and asphalt, folks. but i decided to not let it stop me this year.

watercolors

I added some orange circles last night, which looks purty, but haven't taken a pic yet of the next process. welcome to the way i define therapeutic. (and a theme I apparently like to follow)