Soaking Up the End of Summer

Happy Monday, everyone.  While we technically have 3 more weeks of summer, in this part of the country it seems like the weather has begun to shift and fall is in the air.  This past weekend was gorgeous but we have a cooler week ahead so this past weekend I spent as much time outside as possible. 

On Friday night we hit up the driving range after work.  I hit the ball terribly so was a little bit grumpy afterwards.  Golf definitely does not come easily for me!  But it was a beautiful evening and it was great to get some fresh air. 

On Saturday morning I went for a nice long run along 3 local lakes (more on that later this week).  The temps were cool so I had a great run.  This is my favorite time of year for running!  The rest of the day was spent being productive and getting stuff done around the house.

On Saturday evening we went to a Greek Festival in the neighborhood where Phil used to live.  It was fun to sit outside, listen to live music, and eat some delicious Greek food.  I couldn't have any of the desserts, but the dessert that Phil got looked so good!

On Sunday I went to a yoga class in the morning and then went bike shopping.  I've been wanting a bike for awhile but haven't been motivated to shop for one (or spend the money) but I signed up for a Minneapolis Bike Tour that the Park and Rec Board puts on every year and it's next weekend so I need to either buy a bike or find one to borrow...  I didn't have any luck yesterday but it was fun to ride around on the two bikes I tried out.   

On Sunday afternoon I crossed another thing off of my summer bucket list - kayaking!  I bought a crowd cut deal for kayaking earlier this summer and it expires next weekend so this was pretty much my last opportunity to go as next weekend's weather forecast doesn't look great.  I kayaked to 3 different lakes.  I've ran around all of these lakes many times this summer so it was fun to see the sights from a different vantage point.

My favorite part was kayaking on the small canals between the lakes as it was so quiet and peaceful.

Being by the water is good for the soul.

On Sunday evening I used this basil

to make a trial run of the soup we are planning to serve at Julia Child night.  I am hoping my basil plant survives into the fall as I love being able to pick fresh basil!

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and it was great to not really have anywhere that I HAD to be.  I needed a weekend like this after the last couple of weeks which have been a little over-planned!  I am usually so ready for fall to start but this year I find myself a little sad to see summer coming to an end so I am trying to soak up every moment that I can!

Was the weather nice this weekend where you live?  Did you do anything outdoors?