Recently someone asked me how my ‘Stolen Summer’ was.

WOW, did they hit the nail on the head! Stolen Summer described perfectly how I felt about the heat dome and oppressive smoke. Throw in a dash of a pandemic for good measure and the term ‘Stolen Summer’ perfectly described the summer of 2021.

Looking back though, there certainly were bright spots...

By sheer accident, I saw my first Lazuli Bunting (more to come about this bird experience in a forthcoming newsletter)

What was once a bed of tangled, mangled quack grass became a palette for bright and happy blooms, Hummingbirds and LOTS of bumblebees. A huge Thank You to Melissa (and Nicole) from Haus of Horticulture who reclaimed my flower garden and with it hours of visual delight and renewed enthusiasm for toiling in the dirt.

HOLY-MOLY Greg Iles’ Penn Cage series became a Stolen Summer addiction! Six suspense-filled books, each of them gripping!

Biting into this past season’s peaches was peach heaven. Each bite dripped with juicy sweetness.
The best I can remember in years. YUM!

A fun overnight getaway to cycle the Legacy Trail and spend time with a dear, dear friend.

Playing tennis may not sound like a summer highlight however because it was the first tennis I’d played in three decades it made the noteworthy cut. It was SO much fun!

The brightest times were re-uniting and gathering (outdoors) with family and friends.


With the arrival of fall I find myself happily immersed and captivated by the crisp views and the colours beginning to change. The air is fresh. Welcomingly fresh! I cannot walk by gladiolas without stopping to admire them, and vine-ripened tomatoes have taken over where peaches left off.

I don’t wish away the summer gone. This is me, simply taking a look back at the odd summer, best described as ‘A Stolen Summer.’

Yours in Travel
Diane

PS – I’ve recently learned Greg Iles has a seventh Penn Cage book scheduled to be published in 2022.
Fingers crossed it will be early in the year. What a great winter read to look forward to!