300 Days of Sunshine

We're approaching monsoon season in Santa Fe, when the heat of late June starts to dissipate, replaced by short, almost daily thunderstorms, leaving behind refreshing temperatures and a stillness in the air.  I don't like the feeling of humidity building up to the thunderstorm, but I do love the cool air, damp greenery, and lingering clouds over the mountains right afterwards.  I went for my early morning run just after a storm on Saturday morning.  My Saturday run is one of the most refreshing parts of my week, because it's my only guaranteed hour of "alone time" when I'm not a full-time healthcare provider or full-time parent, when I don't have to answer to anybody except myself, and when I can let go of the mental energy of being responsible for someone else and helping other people.  It was a really lovely morning for a run, and I was able to get out of the house early enough to not encounter many other people on the trail. The air was calm and I hear

We're into the heat of summer (literally and figuratively), and the pandemic continues.  Does anyone else wonder what happened to spring?  I feel very disoriented to time these days.  I would like to just erase the past four months from memory, but at the same time I really look forward to witnessing the positivity and innovation and change that will happen as a result of this period in history.  Following 4th of July, I had a lot of meaningful conversations with friends and coworkers about what patriotism means and what we want to see happen in our country. In the meantime, we will make the most out of summer.  While many of my favorite Santa Fe summer pastimes are on hold this year (Music on the Hill, the bandstand at the Plaza, happy hours on patios, art markets, and beer festivals), there are a lot of things I look forward to doing at home.  I want to spend more time in my yard, take the kiddos on more hikes locally, try new recipes, support local businesses, and begin to welco

I don't really like the 4th of July.  I used to enjoy going up to the field at the school to watch fireworks in my town as a kid, eating snacks on a picnic blanket and playing with light-up toys while anxiously awaiting sunset and the the beginning of the fireworks show, then watching in awe with all the other kids in town.  We got to stay up late to watch the whole spectacle, including the grand finale, before gathering up our things and walking home together.  But as adult, I can't stand the noise of firecrackers and I am appalled by people setting off fireworks in their own yards.  I have become increasingly annoyed by the fact that fireworks go on throughout the summer, and at all hours of the night.  It is distressing to watch the anxiety that my dog experiences over the loud bangs, and I can only imagine how war veterans with PTSD must feel.  And working in acute care, I have come to associate summer holidays with fatal drunk driving accidents, spinal cord injuries from f