Short Post for the Longest Day

Jaunty marigolds to welcome the official start of summer Credit A O'Brien

On the eve of the longest day of the year, the weather is beautiful here in central Maryland: azure sky with puffy clouds, low humidity, slight breeze, hummingbirds at the feeder, iced coffee on the deck. All systems go. Here's a mini listicle celebrating maximum summer.

1. Fave bigness: big skies, big climbs. It's been all about the elevation gain lately, climbing mountains with the pony and the bike all for the reward of the view at the top.

   

   We made it! 2,300 feet up in the George Washington National Forest in the Shenandoah Mts of VA. Credit: A O'Brien

   

   Farm country out in Washington county, MD. Credit A O'Brien

   2. Fave time: tasty tomato time. Things have been a little weird weather-wise here. Some stuff is early, some stuff is late. We had a nasty unusual late frost on April 21 that negatively impacted some local agriculture, namely the wine industry. My zucchinis are late but looks like blackberries will be early. Tomatoes seem early as I already have some green ones on the vines -- and I have 8 plants this year! Hay has so far been on time for first cutting but we'll see how second cutting goes. The day lillies are right on time. And we all keep chugging along.

   

   The maters are coming!!! Credit A O'Brien

   3. Fave New Yorker article: the April 27, 2026, issue had a fascinating article by Lauren Collins about MIBs -- not men in black as you might guess but rather messages in bottles. The history of them, the search for them, the whole thing. Fantastic summer read.

   

   No messages in a bottle on this trip but still, what a view! Credit A O'Brien