A later than usual wake up, bleary eyed, well rested, much needed sleep. The heat of the day present. I thought of all my plants and their thirst to quench. This is where the day began: watering, watering, watering to the cheerful sound of birdsong in the sweet summer heat wave of fresh scents. On the way to the vegetable gaden, I met two busy egg layers: a painted turtle in mid-laying, and a snapper still searching for a spot to dig. Then, already quite hot, I was happy to be in the shady woods for my walk. By the brook there was a single bloom on the wild iris, and I mucked in my boots through the mud to get close enough to see it. In the gravel by the train tracks, the single yellow goatsbeard bloom that I’ve had my eye on was wide open. I grew quite hot and thought about the late afternoon swim I would take in Farm Pond. Which I did, after a busy Monday of responding to e-mails and mentoring a writer and doing planning and prep. I drove to my friend’s house as it was so hot, and the pond was cool in the late afternoon sun. I dove in, eagerly swam around the island into the refreshment. My youngest phoned me this morning on her way to work, and I thought about that, with pleasure. She was cheerful, well rested, and I held that like a nugget of treasure in the back of my mind all day. These turtle mothers lay their eggs and leave the nests. In September, the turtles that are not preyed upon as delicious treats who are lucky enough to hatch have to find their own way to the river from their nests in September. If they meet their turtle mother ever again it is by accident, I think. Turtle mothers are quite detached after the laying part. I ran into my son on the way back from my walk, he was walking the woods with a friend. Oh, my human offspring. We meet by accident occasionally; most especially by intent.