Happy 4^th of July (weekend)! Happy long days. It’s summer vacation season. So get up and go somewhere. Be happy go lucky!

I’m not really in Denmark, though I really wish I were! But some years back, I dragged my kids through some of their Scandinavian root grounds (+ fun touristy kid areas), for several weeks around the Solstice. Here, a witch (not a real one) burns on a beach as part of a midsummer celebration called Sankt Hans Aften.

This ritual dates back hundreds of years—like so many things in Denmark—and has many histories, symbolisms, and even controversies attached to it. From my POV, it was a glorious, mysterious evening with beautiful people, sentimental singing, tasty beer, and midnight light. My celebration this year will be less fiery, and probably rainy to boot. : (

Still, Happy Solstice!

Nature is great, right? Hmmmm… When my daughter knocked on one of my birdhouses recently, this creature emerged. A sibling remained inside, thank God.

They’re baby flying squirrels—something you rarely see around here. Nocturnal by nature, they use those big eyes to, well, freak me out! I don’t know why they were in the birdhouse, although they do fly (glide, really, or so I’m told). I just hope they stay away—maybe go hang out with the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz or something.

Graduation brings much excitement, emotion, and exhaustion. That’s why I ducked in to Princeton University Chapel a few days ago—after events had ended and people were disappearing.

I found the silence and reflection I was looking for, in addition to these lovely orange-centric flowers saluting the college colors. My son is now done there, and I am filled with gratitude for his world-class education and experience. And yet, I will miss that place. He’ll miss it more, as college provides the ultimate BreakAway for youth coming of age.

When it comes to sunsets, everyone’s an excellent photographer—because sundowns are so awesome, at least when the clouds cooperate. Sunrises can be equally lovely. But most of us aren’t floating on a boat with friends sipping a cocktail at that hour.

Wildfires from Canada are again sending smoke to Minnesota that makes for hazy skies, but stunning sunsets. We’re all busy: I know. But please stop and watch one of our planets most magical moments when you can. It’s free. And you’ll feel better about whatever’s bugging you.

I’ve been travelling a lot lately, which both delivers the promise of one of this site’s charters and keeps me trained for the rigors of rambling. In the last five weeks, I’ve done long weekends in Kansas City, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Okoboji (IA). Expect reports from the fields and beaches soon…

Meantime, this shot happened during sundown from a deck in Okoboji, a beloved getaway  of mine since childhood. Obviously, the dock crews work harder than vacationers know. Here, hundreds of docks and lifts await their annual migration back to the lake, in a twisted and noisy dance not unlike the spring rituals of the birds and animals hiding all around.

Soon, the weather (and water) will warm up, the vacationers will barge in by the thousands, and summer will spring into hot action. Then the season will fade away, like a beautiful but too-brief sunset. Summer is short. Step out and find your warm comfort zone before fall and the chilled docks come cashing ashore again!

BreakAway promotes the power of music—to wash away your worries, to touch the spirits, and for daily entertainment. Live music offers one of the finest pleasures on the planet. Which is one more reason to warm up in Mexico; authentic music happens everywhere there—like this troubadour busking for spare change on the malecon in Mazatlan.

If you’re traveling with children, their eyes will pop when a brassy mariachi band blasts over the dinner table. On the romantic side, nylon-string guitarists serenade and soothe diners and sweethearts. But my favorite memory? A wandering trio harmonizing  Guantanamera with 3 sizes of guitars, tableside, on a candle-lit beach at (what is now) the charming Petit Lafitte resort near Playa del Carmen.

Whenever I hear that song, my mind goes back to that sublime scene. Music makes memories…the most precious thing in life.

When spring finally arrives in the Great Cold North, people hit the water. It’s okay to be late for supper, church, or that FOTOFRIDAY blog post. Just BreakAway outside and ride the warm wave.

Never mind the snow in the forecast this weekend. Everything is right on schedule.

New Orleans may be the funnest city in America, if not the world. Where else can you get round-the-clock music, incredible food, incomparable culture, and a party that never stops? A long weekend in NOLA provides a perfect BreakAway; you’ll come home feeling like you were worlds away, and for a long, long time.

Halloween, on the other hand, turned downright scary at times. Oh sure, the costumes were insane. But the crowds were even crazier—at times so thick and crushing you could barely move, breathe, or hear yourself scream.

So go to NOLA, by any and all means. But think twice about visiting during Halloween, Mardi Gras, and the super-popular times. You’ll find it easier to laissez les bon temps roulez!