I can’t believe summer is already over!
Summers have always gone by way too fast… but now that I’ve got fire seasons eating up a huge chuck of the warm weather months, they manage to go by even faster.
Regardless, here’s a little recap of everything I’ve been up to lately.
WORK
Well, summer started in the middle of the Pipeline/Haywire/Double fires.
I had a chance to spend some time out in the field escorting media out to the burned areas so they could see fire damage and effects.
Then we had the Committee Fire.
The good news about the Committee Fire? I was able to finish my task book! Now I only have two classes left until I am qualified as a Type 3 PIO.
THEN, finally, work slowed down for a bit. I was able to photograph some celebration and award ceremonies, and I recently got back from a week-long work conference in Albuquerque.
Way back early this year, I sat down with my friend Rachel for a podcast interview. It’s about my very untraditional career path: from Chicago journalist to Eastern Bloc Peace Corps Volunteer to Forest Service Public Affairs Specialist. Rachel edited everything together and released our interview as an episode over the summer. You can listen here.
And… yes, I’m still teaching at YogaSix!
HIKING + OUTDOORS
Fire season kind of put a damper on early summer. There wasn’t too much time to explore outdoors when I was busy with so much overtime!
But, I did find time to explore Aspen Loop with Ryan back in July, which was new to me.
I’ve sadly only made it out on one camping trip this year, too: to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon! I’m trying to corral my friends together for another trip soon.
I did make it up to Lake Powell to go paddle boarding over Fourth of July weekend, though, which was a blast!
DINING + FOOD
I’ve been meaning to post about this… but Ryan and I now have a sourdough starter!
I bought two new bread-baking books: Tartine and Flour Water Salt Yeast. I started baking my own bread earlier this year and I’m excited to continue to do so.
And… the sourdough starter means I’m going to be making a LOT of sourdough starter discard recipes.
So far I’ve tried two: oatmeal cookies and rosemary sea salt crackers.
Ryan and I have also been using our garden produce to its fullest extent. One of my favorite recipes that we tried was this summer gnocci with zuccini and sweet corn topped with a roasted tomato pesto, basil, feta and poached egg.
SHOPPING (AKA: AFFILIATE LINKS)
A few new purchases:
I caved and bought the famous TikTok jeans from Abercrombie and Fitch, as well as a new swimsuit that miraculously fits my small ribcage and large bust! A&F’s Curve Love line is THE BEST!
I also took advantage of some Labor Day sales to buy some new clothes: this tank top, this turtleneck, this keychain, this bandana and this t-shirt from Madewell. I also caved and bought a pair of Doc Martens to wear with the new TikTok jeans, and one of my favorite Lulus shirts was available in gray, so I grabbed that too.
I spent about $120 at Supergoop during a sale to stock up on sunscreen, and grabbed my favorite Tocca perfume from Anthropologie during a similar sale.
Rec-wise, I grabbed some new gaiters from Outdoor Research and a new soft cooler from Yeti for fire camp and paddle board adventures.
I also got some new gym wear, including a new crop top, pair of running shorts and yoga bra from Lululemon. I also found my favorite Saucony running shoes in BLACK! I pulled the trigger so fast. I also bought my own pair of Goodr OG sunglasses so I can stop borrowing Ryan’s.
A few things on my wish list: Now that weather is cooling down, I’m dying for some new flannel shirts, a shearling-lined denim jacket and ALL the cozy sweaters.
BOOKS, MOVIES + TV SHOWS
I did a LOT of reading these past few months, which was nice! I started this year off with a bang because I was living out in my remote Sierra Nevada cabin, but then once I got back to Flagstaff, reading fell by the wayside as fires and forest closures popped up.
But, over the past few months, I’ve been back to reading. Some of my favorites from this summer include “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy, “Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir” by Marie Yovanovitch and “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry.
I started a “what I read” series to elaborate a little more on my reading! Here’s a recap of my August reads.
I also made it out to the movie theater to see “Where the Crawdads Sing” (I loved the book when I read it a few years ago) and I made it out to Flagstaff’s “Movies on the Square” event to see Star Wars for the 87th time. I’ll never turn down an opportunity to see Star Wars.
YUKON
Oh, Yukon!
I had to kennel him while I was at the Grand Canyon and then in Albuquerque. It’s the longest he’s ever been kenneled (seven full days!) but he seemed to do OK! He’s definitely still mad at me though. He pouted for a solid three days when I picked him up.
Other than that, he’s still living his best life.
MISC.
We (Ryan) built a deck! We have a lot more plans for our apartment’s outdoor space (we re-signed our lease for another year) but the deck is a good start.
We hung a projector screen up so we can watch movies outdoors, and we’re still debating between an outdoor sectional or a foam hot tub for the space.
We’ve also been harvesting veggies from our garden. We’ve had spinach, green beans, so much zucchini and snap peas so far.
I also learned how to knit! My first project is a little ambitious. I can’t wait to share it with you when I’m done, but until then, you can find me on Ravelry.
So… now I have knitting, gardening and paddle boarding to compete with my already never-ending list of hobbies: yoga, hiking, climbing, reading, playing my ukulele, blogging, baking, etc.
And, other than all that, it’s just been a lot of the same! Friday Meetups, Sunday farmers markets, weekend brunches, a new bi-weekly knitting club, and taking as much yoga as possible.
See ya come winter!
