Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you. ~Walt Whitman

~DOUBLE CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGES~

These books were my best friends this semester. I had the privilege of taking a class on J.R.R Tolkien’s works. It was really neat to be in a class with fellow enthusiasts. Together we covered in detail, The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and other works. It’s already two weeks into summer and I’m already missing that class and all the papers that I complained about. My final paper was on Aragorn’s journey towards kingship. The hours I spent poring over this paper paid off. This is part of an email that my professor emailed me that almost had me in tears. "You marshaled an impressive array of research about kingship and got in more of the background of Aragorn than I have ever been acquainted with, so it was an enlightening piece for me. The most interesting and analytical part of the paper is about how Aragorn's kingship results in the "physical and spiritual restoration of the realm." I like the clarity of the writing, and you taught me a new word: "pridian." Actually two: "restaurare" was the other."

Enjoying warm outside time. Bottom left is Willowmina's Vampire face that we've been trying to capture forever now. It's actually kind of scary at night when her eyes are dilated. I work at a zoo and come home to a zoo, I love it, I love them.

Artichokes from earlier in the season, thank you Laura Panfilio! Chamomile from the Farmers Market makes the best tea. Steal cut oats is our new morning thing, with strawberries from our garden.

Now that the weather is fab, we've been enjoying meals outside.

Another Gnome door by Trent. This one was for his mom for mothers day, she loved it.

I get to come home to this view everyday, I love where I live!! Fresno is like a big town with little towns in it. Fig Garden is a little town of it's own, and one of my personal favorites! I have Whole Foods, the Chipotle with the best vibe in town, and my awesome church all a quick bike ride away! And Little Tim the friendly squirrel, see him?

The Season of Love

The evening view out my living-room window.