summer is an extrovert

Happy Anniversary to me!  BITNF is eight years old today.  Thanks for following along and for your continued encouragement!

I am all in this summer.  Sure, I’ve been planning as I like to do, but I’ve also been taking more spontaneous opportunities.  Here are the highlights of what this introvert has done in the past five weeks (since the first day of summer):

• Vacationed in the tiny house twice, once with Enid The Cat.  She immediately made herself at home again in, what must seem to her, just a big kitty condo.
• Went swimming multiple times.  The entire province of Nova Scotia was under a Heat Alert last week.  The Annapolis Valley, where I live, can get particularly humid (reaching a humidex of 40C (104F) on Monday) and fortunately there are many swimming spots nearby.
• Camped at Kouchibouguac National Park in New Brunswick with family again this year.  MOMN reserves early to get a site next to the beautiful lagoon—we enjoyed an extended breakfast looking over the water with French press coffee and oatcakes. My niece was concerned I was going to wimp out at the park’s popular Kellys Beach and I admit I kinda did—even on a scorcher of a day, the Atlantic Ocean there was leg-achingly cold.
• Went tubing down the Gaspereau River for the first time.  After a bike ride with friends, we seized the opportunity while the river water was still high enough.  This adventure far exceeded my expectations—it was more exciting (speed, rapids) than I assumed and we had the river to ourselves.  It was so fun, we did a second run. It’ll definitely be on the list for next summer.
• Attended a heart-warming Brady Bunch family dinner when all four of my stepmom’s “kids” were in Nova Scotia.

• At the rural property, participated in the big annual community yard sale with my brother and MOMN for the fourth time.  The morning was busy but it was a different crowd this year—many people looked but didn’t buy a thing.  We had a lot of books we were ready to move along but no one bought a fiction book until, later in the morning, a man with a used book store picked up four boxes. 
• Bought four (4!) pieces of MCM furniture (and more is in the works).  You can bet there will be a future post all about my adventure into MCM furniture this summer.
• Attended a local outdoor concert/street party.  The music was good but it was sparsely attended, perhaps because the CFL game played on the previous weekend (with 10K additional people in town) had scared most of the locals away.
• Visited with 20+ family and friends I don’t see regularly.
• Enjoyed making salads for two picnics with friends.
• Tried to keep up with eating all the peas and beans from the veggie garden. 

This week, I’m taking care of some tasks and appointments and allowing for IRD time.  Gotta pace myself.  There are another eight weeks of summer to enjoy.

References and related links:

• MOMN: Mother of My Nieces, my sister-in-law. 
• MCM: Mid-Century Modern.
• IRD: Introvert Recharge Day.
• summer #58 (post #181)
• seven-year itch (post #167)
• yard sale (post #125)
• Kouchibouguac National Park (Parks Canada site).