"The drone of the cicadas filled the air. My youngest told me that when he was little, he thought that the sound was just the noise that came in summer. There's no doubt that the sound is as penetrating as the oppressive heat of the late summer sun."

Fun facts - some cicada species can produce a call in excess of 120 decibels, approaching the pain level for humans. The hotter it is, the louder they sing.

We finally got a break from the wildlife smoke outside late this week, but it came with some steamy temperatures. The garden has been making do with morning dew and spot watering, but we can use rain. We got about half an inch so far this weekend, which was enough to fill the rain barrels. There's a possibility of more in the forecast. We'll see if it actually arrives.

It's hard to believe we're through July and into August already. I've seen friends posting about the kids heading back to school already. It seems like summer just got started. I confess, I have a fondness for the older routine, where studies picked up as the harvest wound down. Of course, most folks don't harvest much anymore.

When our sons were still homeschooling in their younger years, we'd often combine lessons with harvesting - and gardening, and cooking, and so on. This worked especially well with my youngest, who is very much a hands on learner. Too much busywork, and he loses all enjoyment of a subject.

As we close in on the last official month of Summer, I'd like to invite you to be more intentional about savoring the season. I made up the list below to help you with some simple ideas to get you started. Try one or try a bunch, repeat as much as you like, or not at all.

• Catch one more sunrise
• Eat a meal outside
• ​Go barefoot in the grass​
• Try a new grill recipe
• Take a day trip
• Make homemade ice cream
• Pick (or buy) fresh berries​
• Watch the stars
• Visit the farmers market
• Have a backyard campfire
• Hang laundry on the line
• Take photos with friends and family (and of the garden, if you have one)
• ​Collect garden seeds​
• Read a book in a hammock
• Swim at least once more
• Press a flower for keeps

We're picking berries every couple of days now, and laundry on the line is a must, along with barefoot time, but I haven't pressed flowers in ages, and I could use some new grill recipes (and new recipes for slicing cukes - the plants are going crazy this year and we've been sharing the abundance).

Stargazing has been hindered by the smoke, but I'm hoping it will improve moving forward. We had a stunning sunset last night. The photos didn't do it justice. I don't have a hammock, so the couch or glider rocker may have to do.

Speaking of which, my book is calling (along with blackberries that need care), so I'd best wrap up.

Helping you create resilience and abundance,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

This week's featured articles...

I'm all about safe canning, but sometimes I butt heads with current official "rules". (In part because they keep changing them and cooking the life out of the food.) Yes, we're dealing with some pathogens that may not have been around in the past - but they still can't survive in the right (or wrong for them) conditions. As such, I put together a more detailed canning guide for peaches, addressing hot pack verses raw pack, and safe canning for white peaches, which tend to be less acidic.

The common mallow I left along the edge of the garden is in its prime, so I figured it's probably a good time to share the Common Mallow Weekly Weeder entry. Mallow water is super simple to make, and the herb makes a mild wild addition to salads. The buds can be made into capers.

Common mallow is a virtual apothecary in one plant. Medicinal actions include:

• Anthelmintic – expels parasites
• Antibacterial – fights bacteria
• Anti-inflammatory – contains salicylic acid
• Astringent – tightens and tones
• Demulcent – creates a protective film
• Diuretic – increases the flow of urine
• Laxative – promotes bowel movements
• Emollient – softens skin
• Expectorant – removes excess mucus

We made zucchini casserole earlier this week for a quick dinner, and the boys shredded too much zucchini, so I told them they should make up some of grandma's zucchini bread. I will soon be enjoying a nice slice of one of my favorite quickbreads.

While the stores are filled with back to school, we're focused on back to filling the pantry. It's a natural time to take inventory (before everything fills up again as the harvest comes in), rotate out/use up older stock, and restock as needed.

If you need to restock dry goods, including beans, grains, nuts, and dried fruits, Country Life Natural Foods has a nice offer right now where you can try out Country Life+ membership free for 30 days.

Country Life+ includes:

• Free shipping on all items.
• Free express fulfillment.
• 4x the credits: Earn quadruple credits for every $1 spent. Credits can be redeemed as savings ($1 per 100 credits) or free products.
• Exclusive access to sales and deals: These offers are not available to non-Plus members.

To redeem this offer, use code "PLUS" at checkout when you choose the Monthly Membership. It's similar to Amazon Prime, but for your pantry.

I like that they carry some hard to find items, like organic flours, including kamut, spelt, and Gold N White. They also have organic dried fruits and organic nuts. There's granola and trail mixes for grab and go snacks.