A generally lovely Wednesday

Today I tried to buy cookware for D&S, but the internet let me down - the shop wasn't at that address anymore. Maybe it's entirely gone; it used to be even closer to my house. Then I went to the library, having decided that the latest Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel might be too dark and/or creepy for me to enjoy during J's vacation, when I'd rather read things that are light and fun. So, even though I was the first person to get access to this new book, I returned it to the library. I also picked up the book they had on hold for me, a YA novel that's a fantasy retelling of the life of China's only female ruler. Once I got in the car, though, I read the blurb on the back describing it as "brutal, bloodthirsty, and full of rage" and decided I didn't need it either, so I returned it too.

In the evening, I walked down through the neighborhood park with J, who had his bike and was going to ride down to the high school and back. As soon as we said goodbye and I turned around to go home, I saw my friend BHW and her daughter on the path behind me, walking their dog. I chatted with them a bit, then accompanied BHW to a local convenience store that sells fresh local ice cream by the scoop, which had been her destination. We then walked back to her house as it got dark, and she told me about her upcoming trip with her mom to Enid, Oklahoma, to visit a cousin she hasn't seen since childhood, and to learn more about Oklahoma, where she's never been. The cousin is very excited that they're coming and started planning a major gathering with lots of grilled meat. When BHW explained that her mom is vegan, the cousin had to stop their texting conversation for a while so she could look that up. It sounds like they'll have a great adventure regardless.

We've been very lucky - no appreciable wildfire smoke for quite some time. Fingers crossed! I think it's been twice in recent years that July and August were fine, only to have it hit us big on September 1...