this is Erin with her puppies. I can’t remember exactly when Erin had them; it was either 2000 or 2001. There were eight in the litter. We tied little loom threads around their necks so we could tell who was who. Erin is a Border Collie and is very smart but doesn’t have the herding instincts that her breed is known for. We took her to a farm once to see if she would herd the sheep, but she just wanted to play with them. She also didn’t have much of a maternal instinct – instead of feeding, she’d always want to jump up and greet and play ball with all the human visitors who came to ooh and aww over her babies, so my sisters and I had to hold her down so her babies could eat. One of the pups broke his leg somehow and was stumbling around in a cast for about a week. It was sad but also kind of adorable.

this is Frankie, or Francis Albert, my Grandma’s cat. He is named after Frank Sinatra. Last weekend I visited Illinois, where Frankie lives. He has a sleek grey coat and is one of the most laid back cats I’ve ever met. My cousin told me he used to bite a lot. His favorite places seem to be the balustrade and back of the couch, presumably because those both give him vantage points from which to observe various goings-on. Like Mr. Sinatra, Frankie is cool and confident. Perhaps he can’t sing quite as well though.

What are your thoughts on ladybugs? This fellow probably isn’t alive anymore. I took his photo back in 2004 or so. When I was growing up, our house would be infested with ladybugs every spring. I don’t know where they all came from. There would be hundreds crawling on my windowsill and ceiling. One ladybug is adorable, but a swarm of 500+ is not. One ladybug crawling on your arm is precious, but finding 15 dead ladybugs in your shoes certainly is not.

We spent a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in Harpers Ferry, wandering the narrow streets and enjoying the warmth of the June sun. One of our last stops was to an ice cream shop. I got mint ice cream and devoured the entire thing with haste, but Adam was gracious enough to save his cone to share with these birds. When they saw he had food, they quickly surrounded him. This is one of the most beautiful days from this summer. Simple but beautiful.

A good friend and I spent a scorchingly hot Sunday this past April pedalboating on the Tidal Basin. Afterward we met this hungry duck. I think the ducks on the basin are quite used to being fed by tourists and passers-by, because this fellow hopped right up to us. Fortunately my friend had a cylinder of sour cream & onion Pringles with her, which she happily parted ways with in order to sate his appetite.

I love her.

What better way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon?