Beach Time (in the livingroom!)

The weather has been excruciatingly HOT and HUMID here.  It has curtailed my outdoor activities for the time being.  Even taking the dogs out briefly or picking berries in the evening when the sun is gone has become very uncomfortable, to say the least.  The air quality is terrible in this heat and humidity and really bothers my asthma, so indoor activities are what's on tap.  Yesterday I changed over my mantel in the living room from a "let's go fishing" theme to a beach theme.  I won't be going one to anytime soon, but I can have some reminders on display.  Thought I'd share them with you.

The little bottles of sand on the left are saved from beach trips when the girls were little.  The test tube is a "letter in a bottle" with sand and tiny sea treasures in with it.

Enjoy.  If it is hot where you are, try to stay cool.  And remember all the little critters outdoors are suffering too.  Leave out a shallow dish of water in your yard in the shade if you can.  The birds will enjoy a cooling bath and the littlest animals will appreciate a cool drink.  I watched three chipmunks enjoying a refreshing drink in our bowl yesterday and the robins were out in force in the bird bath.  Stay cool!