July in Photos

The month of July was heatwave upon heatwave, with the odd smoggy day thrown in the mix due to many raging wildfires in North America. You’ll clearly see the effect of those in the final handful of photos, though the photos do look worse than it was IRL. The air smelled of smoke for a few days, but it has been (touch wood) milder than other years so far.

We spent a lot of time outside this month, except on those days when the intense heat demanded time spent panting in front of the fan. 🤣 But it’s been amazing to be able to hang out outside, without all the restrictions.

This was a month of catching up. We spent loads of time with friends and family, so there was a lot of laughter, many deep discussions, wonderful shared meals, and gorgeous destinations.

There was also some quiet time at home. The situation in South Africa deteriorated a bit, and we worried about our loved ones. Luckily, our friends and family were mostly unaffected by the riots and looting, but we do know of extended circle loved ones who weren’t as lucky. Our thoughts remain with everyone who has lost someone to Covid, or who was affected by the unrest.

On to happier news.

The new print edition of A Study of Ash & Smoke arrived in the mail. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this book! The revamped cover looks amazing in the glossy finish, and the interior sports 3 new full-page map spreads. For now, you can pick up your copy on Amazon, but I am working on expanded distribution. Watch this space.

Here in Calgary, we have rabbits in abundance. Jan and I have been trying to get a garden going for three years now, but our long-eared friends take every opportunity to ensure we fail. 😅 You see, they have a taste for basically everything we plant. We don’t want to harm them, so we’ve tried all the humane repellents, have sprayed coyote urine, and have done everything recommended to us, but the little critters kept munching everything we planted to the point where nothing could grow again. And it doesn’t help that we don’t have a fenced back yard!

So, this year, we decided to try something new. We created a vegetable garden on our porch! We planted various fruit and vegetables in big buckets and it’s been such an awesome journey to watch our plant babies flourish. And, of course, eat what we’ve planted! Ironically, the rabbits have barely touched our wildflowers this year (again, touch wood). I’ve planted mint in the flowerbeds, as I’ve heard rabbits don’t like the smell, so we’ll see.

Anyway. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into our month!