Prelude to Summer

My team had a volleyball tournament yesterday morning - they won again!

It was the last tournament of the season for me.

I will be at a conference in Dallas for final tournament.

While I was coaching, Steve headed to the Farmer's Market.

When I got home, I found wonderful fruits and vegetables on the counter.

I love it when berries are in season.

One fourth of the world production of strawberries is from California and the Oxnard plain, just 5 miles away, is the largest strawberry producer in California.

We are able to enjoy strawberries much of the year.

The season's first cherries!

Not sure what Steve had planned with kale and shitake mushrooms, but I knew it would be delicious.

I grabbed a few cherries and was headed to the garden to read and wait for Steve to get home from his tennis game.

But, watching neighbors walk down the lane with beach chairs told me that our first beach day of spring was upon us.

I left a note for Steve on the table

and headed out for a relaxing visit with neighbors.

A darling set of twins was visiting someone on the lane.

The little girl came up and offered each one of us a rock.

I snapped a shot of her debating on jumping.

It took a bit of courage, but she finally jumped.

I was really photographing Molly lounging on the beach lying on her back.

Molly is the dog!

Back at home, Steve created another of his wonderful meals and we dined al fresco for the first time in many months.

The kale and shitake mushrooms became a wonderful side dish to a simple steak.

Fresh fruit, a windless day spent on the beach and a gourmet meal in the garden.

It doesn't get much better than this!