Summertime, summertime, sum sum summertime

It appears that summer has finally arrived in the Pacific NW. After the lovely weather we experienced in Europe, it was rather grim to come back to the cold, the grey and the rain. Don't get me wrong...I hate it when people complain about the weather here. Most of the time, I don't mind it - rain down here means snow in the mountains much of the time. Plus, the moisty air keeps my complexion in peachy condition and makes for lots of healthy plants. There are times, however, when I just crave sunlight and the ability to walk around without a sweater close at hand. All that being said, I think I can embrace the sunshine without fear and the expectation that it will be snatched from me in the morning (for a while at least).

In celebration of the sun, I've taken a couple bike rides in my tank top (working frantically on my tan) and plan on hacking some blackberries in my overgrown yard. Later on I may even sit on the deck with a book and a beer - that is if I can mellow out enough to relax for a while. I've been spending a lot of time in my dark office working on photos - good for the amount of work I'm doing, bad for not maximizing my outdoors time. I've tried working on the laptop in the bright sunlight, but you know how successful that would be...

Last night, we went to Tacoma for dinner and a movie ("Buck" - worth watching - makes me miss having an animal in my life). Afterwards, we went down to the 11th Street bridge to take photos. The light had just shifted so I was a bit disappointed, but Mt. Rainier had its unique, rosy, end-of-the-day glow so I couldn't be too sad. The bridge is wrapped in large sheets of plastic because it is undergoing major structural work. It seems like the plastic wrap is gradually consuming the bridge. Here's one of the shots I took - not too great, but it's got a nice shot of Rainier framed under the bridge.