If I could package up my current environment and all the associated feelings I’m having right now and send it to you via UPS, FedEx, carrier pigeon, courier, or whatever your preferred method of transport, I would.

It’s just so lovely.

So lovely that I know whatever phrases and descriptive words I try to use won’t be adequate to fully convey the scene. Yet still, here is my poor attempt.

Screen porch. Empty glass beside me that held a wonderful (and my favorite) Scotch Ale. Voices of children at play from across the street. The high school band drumline warming up for the homecoming game a couple of blocks away. Squirrely squirrels climbing trees, eating nuts and dropping shells on the tin roof of our cottage. Falling leaves rustling. Crickets starting their evening serenade. The sun descending behind the old oak trees in our backyard, casting warm and golden light through their leaves that have just a hint of color.

All of these sights and sounds are wrapped up in the most perfectly cool and comfortable, yet-oh-so-slightly breezy air.

It’s wonderful and makes me happy. So happy I stopped everything I was doing, grabbed my camera and took a few shots to remember and savor the moment. I’d like to invite you to savor it with me (or inspire to find your own moment to savor). I’m so sorry the internet doesn’t have scratch-and-sniff-and-feel features yet, these images will have to do to illustrate until Google develops them.

They were taken through the twinkle lights on my deck. I purposely shot through the twinkle lights because so many of my autumn evenings are spent under them. And if you’ve ever spent an evening beneath twinkle lights, you know what a very good thing that can be.

Happy Friday!

I typically get annoyed with blog posts such as these where the author goes on and on about how they know they haven’t been blogging and such. And yet, here I make one.

I know I haven’t been blogging. And such.

I’ll admit, for a while I didn’t quite know how I was going to adequately follow my last post. I received such wonderful comments and feedback about the adoption homecoming pictures and story; and I’m very grateful that I was able to experience and share such a wonderful story. But, (silly I know) I thought my new blog had already peaked. How was I supposed to follow that? I thought briefly about following George’s example with trying to leave on a high note and just call it quits, but later decided against it. So, how was I to follow my last post? With more trivial thoughts and randomness?

Looks that way.

Not everything is meaningful, serious, and emotional. I lead a wonderful life, but much (or the majority) of it is quite normal. Dull even at times. Not that I’d always call sitting in my house listening to records and playing with the cat dull, but some might. (Seriously, that’s what I do.)

However, my lack of recent blogging is not entirely based on dullness and lack of events. Quite the opposite actually. Just to name a few, within the past couple of months, I quit my day job of 4 years, started a new photography-related gig I very much enjoy, had a fun weekend at the lake with friends, photographed some darling boys, and most recently (and most excitingly) went on a three week vacation of a lifetime with my husband. We just returned last night and I’m not even beginning to think about how many images I have to sort through (not to mention how many rolls of film I need to get processed). Images and stories from our trip will be coming soon. Stay tuned.

Plus, we are on the cusp of my ultimate-favorite-of-all-time-makes-me-do-a-happy-dance time of year: autumn. I think that technically the calendar says it’s already autumn, but I’m not counting it yet since the 90 degree weather is still hanging around Atlanta. Fall is filled with leaves, pumpkins, football games and tailgating with friends, yummy things, parties (some of the costume variety), scarves and warm clothes, fires in the firepit (actually the first season with ours, yay!) and the thoughts and preparations for the upcoming holidays. To me it’s the most glorious time of year. And therefore should be filled with lovely things to blog about. That, or just fall-related dull things. Either one.

But first I plan to finish up the last bits of summer, as well as tales of our roadtrip. (Which I’m convinced is the best way to travel. As long as one is in a convertible.) So if there is anyone out there that remembers this little blog exists and finds it interesting, stick around. Fun things coming soon.

And here to tide you over till then are a couple of images of things coming up. One of one of the aforementioned darling boys, and one from the fun lake weekend. One is film and one is digital.

If you seriously have nothing else to I’ll let you guess which one.