Buttercup rules! (and then some)

sunny, warm, temps 24

You can tell that we've slipped over the cusp of summer here. As soon as August starts. We can still get a very hot spell, but for the most part it begins to cool off. We now have a harvest of potatoes. Two.

Our counters have also moved up three two feet or more as all the food has been lifted off the counter and is now piled on top of the fridge. this comes from Buttercup experience. She's the dog on the right of the photo - with her," I'm thinking" look...Trudy is on the left, with her "I'm not thinking" look. They're such great friends. In fact, Trudy completely dumps Michael and me when Buttercup, Charlie and doug are here. she slept with them last night - which means Charlie was the one who got the soft, smelly, toy in the face at 5am.

But there's no doubt that buttercup rules. She wants in. She wants out. She wants all the carbs in the house. She swims on the pond, rolls in skunk poop and eats the goose droppings. She thrusts her head in places that make us jump (and it's often a wet head, so you can imagine what we all look like when we go into Sutton).

But she is absolutely joyous. Doug had warned us that at 8 and a half she was slowing down. We see no evidence of that.

We're having a great time. I continue to edit all morning...have moved a TV table up to our bedroom, along with the laptop. That frees up the rest of the house for Charlie and Doug to play/swim/chase Buttercup. Am finished by one o'clock. We grab lunch, then the guys go golfing (a par 3 close to us) - and today Michael and I are off to meet them in Sutton, for ice cream cones.

Wanted to tell you that on Friday I'll be doing an event as part of a terrific local literary festival called, les Correspondances d'Eastman, in Eastman, Quebec....a pretty village in the townships. I'll be on a panel with Johanne Seymour, Andre Jacques and moderated by Ann Lagace Dowson. It will be in French. the panel is at 1pm. Michael and I plan to start the day with breakfast at Manoir Hovey - then off to make final arrangements (sounds very somber) for the new fireplace for the renovations - then head to Eastman for the panel.

Love to see you there! Les Correspondances is a really amazing literary festival - varied - great balance of genres and between established and emerging writers.

Must run. And still in my pajamas! Best, perhaps, to at least put on my good pajamas for the trip in to town. And still have to put laundry on the line.

Oh - and the third edit is going very well....what a relief! am now at page 155 of 285. And very much liking the book. Changes still being made, but they're superficial at this stage. simplify. simplify. Hope to be finished this edit by Sunday.

Deep breath.