1. Morning walks. Soon it will be cooling down, getting darker in the morning, and all the people who come out for summer will be gone and we’ll have the park back to ourselves again, mostly.

2. Peach season. It’s the best thing about August in Colorado. Eric made a peach pie on our bbq grill the other night that is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

3. Our garden. It’s maybe not as pretty this year and certainly not producing as much, partly because we were gone so long thus neglecting it and partly because we had close to forty 90 degree days this season, but I still love it so much.

4. Movies with Eric in the “fancy” theater. The one with the reclining, reserved seats. We went to Ghostbusters a few days ago and had the whole theater to ourselves, and are going to the new Star Trek movie this weekend.

5. Being home. Of course, I miss Oregon — the beach, my family, the good food, the lack of responsibility. But I’m also so glad to be home, back in my tiny little house.

Bonus joy: Seeing friends, the Korean Sweet Potato Falafel tacos at Blind Pig, a glass of clean cold water, that the bee in my hair and the other one on Sam’s leg didn’t sting us, a few cool days in the midst of a string of hot ones, clean sheets, not needing to do everything right now, watching movies, peach pie oatmeal for breakfast, Eric taking the dogs running, one more week of vacation, reading in bed at night, being able to sleep at night because I remember a time not so long ago when that wasn’t the way it worked, selling our car to someone who can use it (win/win), gas prices dropping again, catching up on the laundry, going barefoot and my foot not even hurting.

The sky that greeted us on HWY 287, finally home in Colorado

1. A safe trip home. It always feels so good to see the landscape change just when we cross the Colorado border, feels so good to see those red rocks and pine trees and big sky — home.

2. A good book “on tape.” We almost always listen to at least one during the drive, usually science fiction or a mystery, and this time I got to pick — The Girl on The Train. It was perfect. The three women who read the parts of the three main characters were especially good, (that can make or break an audio book).

3. Our trips both ways, there and back, were good. This is something to be really grateful for, because being in the car for three days with two dogs during the summer can be kind of miserable, especially if you are tired and ready to get there already or something goes wrong. This summer we had a good run both ways.

Sam loves to ride in the car

Being good boys in the hotel

4. Finding a new trail in Waldport. It’s in the center of town and only two miles, but it’s like you are in the middle of the forest. The day we went, it was drizzling, but the canopy was so thick we didn’t even get wet.

5. One more week at the beach. We did a circuit of all our favorite things, walking on our favorite beaches and eating at our favorite places and seeing some of our favorite people. We also went back to Cape Lookout for the first time in about 15 years, and did a terrifying but beautiful hike. It was a good last week.

Our bedroom at the beach house, one of the most peaceful places

6. Eric, the reason why this is all so much fun, and why it’s okay when it’s so hard.

The day we accidentally dressed like twins

Bonus joy: eating tomatoes and basil and cucumbers from our own garden, sleeping in our own bed, having good neighbors that I’m happy to see after so long gone, a good friend who took such good care of our place while we were away, going grocery shopping, the heat not being as hot as I feared after spending seven weeks where it never got over 70 degrees, a cool shower when it’s hot, a cold glass of water, pay day, how well the new flowers I planted before we left settled in, my foot doing so much better, giving myself permission to take it slow, a two hour nap.