Goodness, I can’t believe August is here! We’ve had a fun and adventurous summer around the Pond with lots of togetherness, lazy days, and wanderings through favorite places and backroads. Now, we’re in our final week of summer vacation, and I’m admittedly not quite on board with starting a new school year yet. As I was putting together this month’s downloadable calendar with all the illustrations of school supplies, I realized again… It’s time, and I’m not sure I’m really ready.
Summer is road trip season, and we’ve been enjoying a few of our annual adventures through Mississippi and the backroads South! These uncharted and somewhat unplanned treks have become a favorite part of our family’s summer activities. Last week, my sweet Elisha even told me that the car trips have been some of the best activities of summer so far. And, what’s not to love, with enjoying games and movies in the car, exploring 2-lane highways, experiencing new scenery, and exploring, shopping and eating in out-of-the-way places? My children hardly even blink an eye now when I pull off to photograph something or take a detour just to see what’s there. For our first road trip this summer, we decided to drive over to Clarksdale, Mississippi to see what we could find at the crossroads of Hwy 61 and 49. I thought I’d share three of our favorite Clarksdale experiences and some of the sights in watercolor sketches and photos…
Hello, June! It’s a new month, and that means a new printable calendar…. I’m sort of congratulating myself for being more regular with these printables this year. The school year finished up last week, so we are about a week and a half into our summer vacation – excitedly! We’ve spent this week getting lazy at Busy Bee for our annual summer kick-off trip to the farm. The weather seems unseasonably hot for May, but it hasn’t stopped us from enjoying these first days of summer slowness and freedom – early morning quiet time on the deck, pasture walks, pancakes for breakfast, a few wanders through county roads, water fun, bonfires for hot dogs and s’mores, and searching for ripe blackberries and wildflowers. It’s not quite time for wild blackberries yet. They are mostly green and red right now, but we’re spotting them everywhere and hoping to come back in a few weeks when more will be ready for picking.
Summer vacation begins for us on Wednesday. We have big plans for small schedules and fun with our summer jar and each other. I predict a few brain freezes.
The conversation went something like this…
Baby Girl: I’m going downstairs.
Me: Oh no! But then you won’t be with ME!
Baby Girl: Mommy. I’m with you forever. Forever and ever.
Me:
I think I may have gotten out a whispered “me too.” But, I’m not sure. She had already disappeared into our little off-the-entryway “Kid Cave”, with snacks in hand, and the curtain drawn for her own little girl time. Those few words just filled up all my hopes and dreams and goals for our family. To share the power of being “with” one another. No matter where we go, or what we experience, to know that our hearts are knit together. That with each other, there is always a place where we belong.
Hello & welcome! I’m Haley Montgomery, and I’m the designer and owner of Small Pond Graphics. I sometimes fancy myself a frog kisser— a documentarian coaxing poignant moments from unexpected places. This blog has evolved from those moments.
The small Pond FIELD GUIDE is part diary, part sketchbook, and part wish list – an archive of ordinary wonders. For years, this space has housed my stories – creative ideas, vintage inspiration, our forays into curious places, and the simple artifacts of quiet of conscious living. Through watercolor, photography, and illustrated tales, these pages uncover the blessing of ordinary days and the wonder found in authentic places and pursuits.
I invite you to open the boxes.
Peek into the drawers.
Rustle through the pages.
I’m honored to have you here.
NEED A FROG KISSER?
Phone: 662.312.4001
Contact Haley to dive in
