::apartment living::herbivore

one of the things that excites me the most about my new, since december, apartment living experience, is the balcony.  for the first time in seven years or more, there is space and place enough for a few of my favorite outdoor summer living plants.  last year i fell in love with the citronella plant, the shape of the leaves silhouetted, the scent, and the small purplish pink flowers.  this year i am trying my hand at lavender, basil, pineapple sage, and peppermint.  

i am imagining a long hot summer on the balcony, sweet iced peppermint tea in hand at all times.  i have yet to even get the flowers.  i am particularly interested in finding the perfect plant stand, one that will hold several plants at once, at different levels, and that has wheels. i like the idea of attaching basket containers to the hand railing but have not, as of yet been impressed with the options.  in my mind there is absolutely no rushing this summer thing.  everyday i feel like i am waking up on vacation.  is that what condo/apartment living is like for everyone?  i wonder these things.  i imagine catching sea shore scents off the wind.  oh the wind can be fierce.  it was a wind to be reckoned with this past winter, i am so glad that's over.  the wind tears through the streets like you wouldn't believe.  and then there is the sunshine.  i hesitate to even take pictures, only because i know i couldn't do the sun a bit of justice and plus, i think sunsets are like a dime a dozen.  except from my balcony, from my view there has not been one alike, there's not one cloud i've ever seen twice, the blues and whites and pinks and oranges change from day to day.  silly, i am almost jealous of myself.  

when i was a littler and younger girl i remember my summers revolving around, summer camp, baby-sitting, reading, bed sheet forts, mud ball making, and riding bikes.  i remember how as a kid we'd spend every single hour of the day out of doors, mostly.  nowadays, the weathermen forecast the air quality code of the day, taking your breath away.  i don't care a bit really.  after an eight hour day underneath the fluorescent, a nice long sit on the balcony, sweating out the man made light toxins, feels like all the craziness can be reversed.  so far, my summer is looking like a vacation on the balcony.  i'm wondering, what's yours looking like.