It's a lovely June day in Seattle: Dean and I worked in the garden, then sat out on the back deck having grilled roast beef & manchego cheese sandwiches, with hot mustard and mayonnaise. The crocosmia are just beginning to send out their spiky flowerheads, and the hummingbirds are on the hunt, buzzing up and down and diving back and forth across the yard, as if they can hardly wait for the flowers to appear. The tomatoes and the zucchini and the beans are growing like gangbusters, but the poor eggplant and pepper and basil are all shriveled up and puny, like kids shivering after stepping out of the pool soaking wet. They need some heat!

We're about to head off to Vashon for an overnight with friends Kevin and Bob. Looking forward to seeing them, and to a little free time to read on the ferry. And of course I can hardly wait to see what yummy dinner Kevin has planned. We're bringing a bottle of Ash Hollow Merlot from Walla Walla, and a bottle of pear wine (the kind with a whole pear inside the bottle) to have with dessert. How do they do that? Place the glass bottle over the pear while it is still tiny and on the tree, and then let the pear grow into the bottle? Hmmmm. Sounds possible. Anyone know? maybe I could try it with our pear tree sometime.