Summer Has Arrived

We've had a gorgeous week which has included sunshine, rain, and even a rare-for-Juneau thunderstorm! Today, the forest was particularly lush and drippy, so I thought I'd share some photos for all of you longing for cool weather, moisture, and a green approach to summer.

Berries are popping out everywhere and I've already caught the aroma of summer in Alaska wafting, nay LURKING, on the breeze. Oh yes, that distinctive aroma of spawning, decomposing salmon that canines around the state know as The Call of the Wild, that is the smell of summer! Jeb hasn't rolled in dead fish yet this year, but bath season for dogs has arrived. Wish me luck!

As you can see by these photos, we had a fairy wing photo shoot this week and, of course, that was accompanied by a Jeb photo shoot. I swear, this dog needs a modeling contract!

This week has been less of a whirlwind than recent weeks, giving me an opportunity to catch my breath, and to catch up on my rest. 

Last week on Friday, we opted not to vend, weighing the sogginess of the weather and the adjacent road construction, and deciding we weren't likely to attract enough customers to break even if we paid a vending fee and rented a canopy. I am still waiting for a purchased canopy to arrive, having had my first order canceled because they don't ship to Alaska, but the good news is, my second attempt, through another company, was shipped yesterday. Soon, I'll be looking for excuses to set up my very own canopy seven days a week!

Speaking of spending money to try to earn money, I signed up for Public Market today. WHOOOOOHOOOO! Vendor stall locations won't be assigned until early August, but if you're in Juneau on the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday after Thanksgiving, come find me in the JACC/annex building across the parking lot from Centennial Hall!

I also signed a contract, today, for Gold Fever Press to publish one of my flash fiction stories in their blog series, A Flash in the Literary Pan, and later in a compilation of the same Alaskan flash fiction stories. I'm thrilled to be working with Maria Reeves on this project, I and hope everyone who reads this will go check out the Gold Fever Press website, and head over to read the flash fiction story they published for their June post. Wrap yourself in something warm, though, because Leaving Shaktoolik will make you shiver. Yes, go now, please. I'll hang tight here while you go read. 

Some of you will recognize the name L.Darby Gibbs since she and I are active on each other's social media, others of you have heard me talk about my friend Elldee. This week, I'm having a lovely time beta reading Eldee's new fantasy novel, The Sharded Boy. When it becomes available, you'll want to read it, and if you are on Facebook you should be sure to "like" her author page. She has a blog, too! Dog-loving indie authors are a cool bunch, folks. 

Yesterday, I got a message from a potential customer who's interested in ordering a set of fairy wings and also a set of DRAGON WINGS! I've been itching to try dragon wings, and I'm excited to give them a whirl. I've been sketching out some of my ideas, and this weekend I'll be playing with wire to see what I can make happen. Send lots of 

scaly, fiery energy my way, okay?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, a great week, and if you're in the U.S., please have a safe and fun holiday.