We've reached the depths of summer - days when it's too hot for much beyond hiding in the shade with a cold beer. I'm just not built for long periods of hot weather, and when the temperature climbs over 80° for too long, my brain starts to turn to mush. By the weekend, I was desperate to escape our stuffy apartment so after work on Friday, Andy and I fled to Whidbey Island. Thankfully we found the cabin breezy and significantly cooler than our apartment, leaving me with the energy for several long rambles along the beach and through the neighborhood near the cabin. On the beach there were pretty shells tiny crustaceans to poke at, and up above the bluff, the road was lined with blackberries ripe for snacking. After a Saturday lunch in Langley and a stop at my favorite bookstore (where I picked up this gem), Andy and I spent the afternoon drinking wine and reading in the dappled sun on the deck. While an escape for the weekend made a nice break, I keep dreaming of having the time to spend a whole week on Whidbey, to really let the peace of the island soak in - and maybe even finish reading a book or two!