rainy season begins?

I eat fresh strawberries from the organic market until I itch - then stop for a couple of days to let my body catch up. It's too early for farmer's market strawberries but they're coming into the stores from somewhere. If they are abundant later in the summer, I'll buy enough to make strawberry jam for winter. It doesn't look like we'll have any apricots this year so I'll let go of that idea and replace them with strawberries.
     Generally, the monsoon season arrives in July - when it comes at all. Our first summers in Taos, we were struck by huge brief afternoon storms replete with lightening, thunder, end-of-the-world winds, rain that soaked the land and made us run around and close windows in the house. It was dramatic and kept the landscape green. Often, in town, we were caught in torrents of rain, coming home soaked through. And I must say that when it rains in northern New Mexico in summer, the rain that falls feels like ice water! I suppose it is, really, as the mountain peaks are cold and there are usually a few lingering patches of snow in shady crevices - not that I've ever climbed up to see them personally. But I can see and sense it from down below at 7500 feet.
     On the very first afternoon we ever set eyes on Taos in 1986 as we drove up from Santa Fe, the streets and canales were running with gushing water and to our east coast eyes it looked like the adobe buildings were melting. The temperature that had been rather hot on the drive up had plummeted. The first thing I did when we got to the plaza was buy a hooded cotton pullover from Mexico. I kept it for years and parted with it one day as a boxload of clothing went to the local resale shop. The last two days of sudden cold rain reminded me of those early days that seemed to vanish in recent years.

While in Connecticut I got to see (via 21st century's amazing ultrasound technology) the alien male person that will become my great grandson in November! (I can't help it - he looked like a little alien in there - flipping around, kicking, waving his arms, big head, slanty Roswell eyes). I am knitting this infant-sized sweater with superwash merino sock yarn from KnitPicks. If I can put down the lace shawl for a few days (13" completed) I will finish this pullover with enough time to knit a matching hat and maybe a blanket. My plans are big. My days since returning from two trips and struggling with anthology printer problems, however, are slower than ever. I'm trying to let it all unfold organically - hoping that the universe will kick in and take over as all those books about intention instruct us.

Against the blue sky
monsoon clouds gather
Strawberry juice on my chin