happy 4th everyone! found these loverly berries here. they were a huge hit!

it usually hits me when i’m playing outside with my kids. watching the kids chase after bubbles blowing in the wind; hearing them giggle when they run through the sprinkler; watching as anya closes her eyes so tight to make a wish before blowing on dandilions and watching their seeds waft away in the wind. i always wonder what the weather is going to be like in 40 years. what will summers be like? will winter just be a few weeks in january?

here in california, where i’ve lived for 10 years, i’ve most certainly seen a change in the climate. it’s mid-october and the forecast is showing 80 degree temperatures for friday. our summers seem to start earlier every year. and the hot temperatures last longer into the fall months.

each year when the summer temps hit highs in the hundreds for days or weeks on end, and we are literally melting from the heat, i wonder how much hotter it will get. how much hotter can it get? on these days, it’s nearly impossible to enjoy fun activities outside with the kids unless you get them all in before the sun hits high in the sky – or 10 a.m.

we try to teach our kids about taking care of the planet as they grow up. it’s the only one we have to live on and we need to do our part (big or small) to make sure it’s livable. my 4 year old gets it. she’s learning about turning off lights and conserving water and recycling. climate is a harder one to explain. how do i tell her the ice caps are melting? how do i explain that polar bears might not be around when she has children? how do i explain to her that the coast line is changing?

these are questions i think about. i hope as a population, we will work together toward making things livable for generations to come.