Craving Shade

The patio is broiling today, and we'd like nothing more than a pool of deep shade to sit and read in (preferably cooled further by murmuring water, or still water like this, or by a drizzle of light pink roses against the fence).  But as it is I've closed the blinds against the heat of the mid-afternoon, and will lie quietly and listen to a Charles Todd mystery on my iPod.

This after a most cheering lunch at our favorite local Italian cafe, where I had delicious linguini con vongole, both lemony and garlicky, remembering the tiny translucent clams in Rome which I virtually lived on one September.

image:  The Beauty of Arts