summer damp

I love our old house but there's an old house smell that comes out in the summer, a damp dirt smell, especially after the rain. Makes me want to light a fire.
We have been busy already this summer - spent the weekend in Niagara with the cherries and the wine and the falls and the stunning lake views and the tourists. I got a little giddy by the falls, I always do. It always amazes me that you are allowed to get so close to them. Does anyone else feel a little worried that they might not be able to resist the urge to fling themselves in? They are just so damned magnetic, elemental. Yeah, in spite of heat, kids, zoo atmosphere, still awesome.
We found some ok sushi for lunch at the kiosks and a french-speaking woman at the plastic table beside us wove a grasshopper - "une sauterelle" - for Jack out of a long blade of grass. Then we headed up the parkway to the Butterfly Conservatory. Also awesome in spite of insane crush of humanity. Monkeyboy and googirl were filled with delight, faces up, fingers out. Sweet.
My mom rocks. She tagged along and babysat the kids so we could go to a wedding and sample figs and champagne on a vineyard patio. Our table at dinner had great lengthy pop culture conversations.
Hitting the road on the way back from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Monkeyboy said "I'm not sleepy or anything, but are we halfway home?"