August is right around the corner, and the crickets and grasshoppers have begun their late summer songs. I love sitting on the patio and being surrounded by those songs. With the swirl of voices, the backyard feels so alive.

However, there is not much time for sitting on the patio today. My husband, Clif, and I are hosting a potluck gathering for some of the people he works with. One of them even offered to bring lobster for lobster rolls. How could I refuse an offer like that?

Soon, I’ll be making potato salad and getting the house ready. It looks as though the weather is going to be good. Could it be that we will actually have one whole day without rain? Maybe so. After all, August is usually one of the loveliest months in Maine. With the way this summer has gone, all bets are off, but I’m hoping this August will be true to form, and we will have hot, dry days and lovely cool nights.