Three things +

Three things of recent note:

We have a resident snake, a ribbon snake about 18 inches long, and I have named her Sylvia. She lives in the rocks between the front door and the driveway and likes to sun herself when it's warm out. Well, who doesn't. I promise a photo. When I was cleaning the cars a couple of weeks ago she kept me company most of the day.

I saw a scarlet tanager off the deck this morning! (Dave called it our scarlet teenager.) I thought it was a cardinal, exciting but a bit blase, until Dave said no, that's not a cardinal! And I realized he was a much more brilliant red and his wing was quite dark, almost black.

Went with work to MASS MoCA, which was great and the journey there was worth the entire trip. We took route 2, aka the Mohawk Trail, west to North Adams. It is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Lots of ohs-and-ahs views, and a great hairpin curve that made me yawn, after driving in Crete. This museum is a wonderful place to bring kids, too. Come visit us and we'll make a day of it. The drive is worth the trip.

Oh, here's a fourth: We went strawberry picking today. Had to go southeast to Granby, east of South Hadley, because the berries up here aren't open for PYO until next week and I was hot to trot, er, pick. Thank goodness we didn't have to go all the way to Connecticut.

Strawberries (did you know they are really grown in straw?) aren't nearly as fun to pick as raspberries, as you have to crouch to get the buggers, and they are very hidden in the leaves. But we got about 15 pounds in an hour, and I now have to clean and freeze then. The place was also selling their own yellow cherry tomatoes, so we got some of those. On the way home we got asparagus, at the farm across the street from Lily's horse camp, where she's going in a week. And of course we found some rhubarb. Yes, I have strawberry-rhubarb crumble or crisp or pie in my future.

But then we went to Websters Seafood on Damon Road for lunch and now I can't even think about eating. Remind us to take you there, when you come. Dave had scallops that were pretty little but the lady said they only get them for about a month every year, and he said they were great. I had a piece of broiled scrod. Lily always gets chicken finger-type food. And they have great fries.

Thank god for Summer Fridays. They are time-sucks on the job but they really do help me regroup and recharge. I used mine yesterday to meet a new friend for breakfast, straighten the house, and get to the gym for a strenuous workout. Oh, and we watched Once, a really interesting indie movie from Ireland. I liked it a lot. Dave says he's doing his best to find me chick flicks, because by the time we start watching, after Lily is in bed, it's 9pm and I fall asleep. I also am not so into the recent thrillers and such, although sometimes one sticks to me. I liked the bank heist one, Inside Man, which I just learned is a Spike Lee movie. And I didn't care for Michael Clayton, or let's just say I couldn't stay awake for it, or The Good German, either. I'm a total lightweight these days.

Tonight we go to party nearby with the theme of the Beatles. "No Yoko," the invite says, so of course I am going as Yoko, which is really simple: black and white clothes, a short pendant necklace, a hat, and sunglasses perched on your nose so you can peer over them. I'll probably wear a white shirt with black pants and jacket. I don't have quite the right hat, but mine'll do. She's so heavy.

I have to admit it's getting better.