Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the category “summer”

21 Aug 2025
2 Comments

Bard Bits: Bard in the Park


I’ve experienced Shakespeare plays (one experiences his works, versus watches them—a bit pompous sounding,sorry) in a variety of forms: live on stage (several as an audience member and once as Horatio—very brief); large screen theater; small screen TV; reading, and teaching.

One favorite form is watching a performance in the park, as it is open air, much like a Globe performance. Plus there is the anticipation of lively audience response, the atmosphere being one of shared spaces and camaraderie. And the plays are usually free, at least the one that comes to our fair city is.

Every year in August the Montana company arrives and performs one of Shakespeare’s popular plays in a local park. This year they presented a As You Like It, which is one of Shakespeare’s more popular comedies.

Laughing Out Loud
Bard in the Park

Arriving at the park 40 minutes early I discovered the space already teeming with people, but no matter since I prefer the back for that quick exit to avoid the parking lot tangle.

As the sun drifted behind the trees the temps cooled down and the stage action heated up with runaway sons and daughters, tangled romance, and character arcs. As You Like It is a fun romp and the audience showed its appreciation with plenty of applause and laughter.

Bard in the Park signifies the transition from summer fun to back to school readiness. And Jacques mentions going to school in his famous “All the world’s a stage” soliloquy.

Anyone catch a Shakespeare in the Park performance this summer?

Posted in authors, creativity, humor, Literature, Reflections, Shakespeare, summer and tagged , , , ,
13 Jun 2025
8 Comments

Happy Flag Day!


Photo by Edgar Colomba on Pexels.com

June 14th commemorates adopting the flag of the United States, which all began June 14, 1775.

No worries if you didn’t even know about it. The banks are open, so is the library, and there will be no parades or a big star-studded concert at the nation’s capitol.

I will celebrate by hanging out our flag and by going out to dinner. Then again it’s my birthday and what better way to celebrate than to have flags hung out and enjoy a night out.

Hope you find a special way to celebrate Flag Day—even if it isn’t your birthday.

Posted in America, celebrations, holidays, Reflections, summer and tagged , ,
01 Jun 2025
5 Comments

Of Rabbits and Such


Rabbit. Rabbit.

Okay, got that out of the way.

Apparently one is supposed to say ‘Rabbit, Rabbit” first thing in the first day of the month. Not sure why but hints of good things happening are implied.

It was easy to rabbit trail on this first day of June since it is my favorite month. Why my favorite? Well, thank you for asking.

my inner feelings revealed
  1. School ends in June—referring to most K-12 students. Knowing that summer break’s imminent arrival created an anticipatory exhilaration. And I suppose students felt that way too. I know as a teacher I did.
  2. Flag Day! Not only is this a day to honor our nation’s flag it’s my birthday. Yes, not everyone can claim the truth that people hang the flag out for them on their birthday. That’s what I believed because that’s what my mother told me. Believed it. I still do, actually.
  3. Family birthdays. Winter must have been long because we have a plethora of family birthdays in June.
  4. Summer solstice. Shades of Shakespearean delight as summer officially begins with the solstice. Watch out for fairies and wayward thespians if walking in the forest.
wood you care for a walk?

5. Settling into summer mode. Even though May provides some bodaciously warm days there remains a sense of “just kidding!” since May still tosses in some rain and inclement weather. June seems more confident in providing consistent blue sky days.

6. Birds and blooms. Giving credit to April and May for nudging winter to pack up and leave for a while, June ushers in the season of winged friends and garden flurry. My backyard is a small slice of paradise as hummingbirds and assorted feathered friends cavort amid the feeders and bird baths while I appreciate the lavender, lilies, and other blooming details. And the busyness of bees is a bonus. 🐝

7. Then there is the celebration of the hammock. Reading, lounging, napping—aah, so nice.

tis the season

8. And throw in longer days, longer nights.

Yes, June is a fave for sure.

Any thoughts on June?

Posted in celebrations, humor, Nature, Reflections, summer and tagged , , , ,
21 Aug 2024
6 Comments

Bard Bits: Hamletized


Summer events that create a more memorable season start with graduation ceremonies. Toss in at least one wedding or a wedding reception along with a church picnic, add in the county fair, include a bit of company to round it all out.

While those events add some pizazz to the summer months, I do count on Shakespeare in the Park. The one day performance arrives in the middle of August and I stop, drop whatever I’ve planned, and position my camp chair on the lawn at the designated park venue and for two hours I revel in Shakespeare.

This year The Montana Shakespeare in the Parks presented their two hour adaptation of Hamlet. Their version focused on what seemed to be Edwardian costume style adding a reserved aspect which offset the emphasis on pulling in the comedic components of the play. I never considered Hamlet a comedy; then again some of lines are quite witty when said with panache.

All the world’s a stage or at least a park is for a summer evening

I didn’t become aware of Hamlet until I began teaching high school English. In fact, I wasn’t aware of Shakespeare until I began teaching his plays. That’s right. Somehow twelve years of public schooling and six years of college and no Shakespeare classes. Shocking, I know.

Once I discovered the tragic Dane there was no turning back. Not only did I teach Hamlet, I set out to watch every version available (still trying to find Jude Law’s Broadway version). One year I flew back to Washington DC to join 29 other teachers for a week of Hamlet Academy at the Folger Library. I then went on to write a choose-your-own path Hamlet, and created the play as a contemporary murder mystery.

Yes, I have become Hamletized and I am okay with that.

Which Shakespeare play has grabbed your attention to the point of almost unreasonable fascination?

Posted in education, humor, plays, Reflections, Shakespeare, summer and tagged , , ,
17 Jul 2023
2 Comments

My Not So Big Year: Junco Journal


Junco Journal

The junco is a common bird, true; however, it has plenty of personality. We learned about juncos this winter when we took to tossing out birdseed under the living room window to avoid trudging in the snow to fill the feeder. Daily a troop of birds ranging from sparrows to doves to juncos would pop by. The consistent crew was a group we referred to as the Jolly Juncos. They would merrily hop about foraging for food in their somber dark hoods and grey suits. They were determined and undeterred in their daily sweep for seed. They helped break the monotony of winter.

In spring we were delighted to find a junco had created a nest in one of my hanging flower baskets.

Leave for a long weekend and surprise!
Quite an artful rendering
Yes, the eggs are tiny
Four eggs!
Mama bird settling in for sitting
Hatchling!
Feed me!
Feed me two!
Dad bird shows up with groceries
Mama bird takes a nest stretch

Unfortunately the birds flew the coop early, no doubt due to the fact that they nested in our patio area and we go through there multiple times a day. I felt terrible until I read about a ornithologist who runs into the same problem when studying juncos. The extra attention needed to band them for tracking can force fledglings to leave the nest early, but the good news is that the survival rate is high. This (I told myself) is what probably happened with our four little nestlings. Mama did return once or twice to the empty nest then disappeared.

I miss having our little junco family as neighbors and wonder if they will return next year.

Posted in Animals, birds, Nature, Reflections, summer and tagged ,
28 Jun 2022
6 Comments

B*I*N*G*O


I admit to being a bit jealous of kids when it comes to summer reading. Libraries promote cool programs to encourage young readers to grab a book and read to earn rewards and prizes.

I read for the enjoyment of reading, yet even a sticker on my bookmark would be that much more fun.

Our local library must have heard my inner child for they are running a summer reading program for the kiddos and adults as well.

BOOK BINGO

Fabulous options! Summer Reading began June 11th and out of the four books I’ve read so far I don’t quite complete a BINGO.

Contenders:

read for 20 minutes (that was easy) read a book outside (gotta get that selfie) recommend a book to someone you know (the hubs eagerly awaits for my recent reads) read a book by a new to you author (another easy) read while listening to ocean sounds (at night while read we drift off to sleep to gentle ocean waves from sleep app) share this BINGO with someone you know (the hubs might play) check out a book by a local author (why—that would be me…) read a book that became a movie or TV series (it might take me all summer to read Lorna Doone)

Wait—

If I check out and listen to a music album I’ll have a BINGO!

Be right back…

How well would you do with a BINGO card? What can you mark off so far?

Posted in Book Boosters, Libraries, Reflections, summer and tagged , ,
24 Jun 2022

Age of Aquarius (kind of)


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Age of Aquarius (kind of)
Posted in memories, Nature, Reflections, summer, Uncategorized and tagged , , | Leave a comment
15 Aug 2021

Backyard Visitor


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Backyard Visitor
Posted in Reflections, Seasons, summer, Uncategorized and tagged , , | Leave a comment
22 Jul 2021
2 Comments

National Hammock Day!


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National Hammock Day!
Posted in Reflections, Seasons, summer, Uncategorized and tagged ,
20 Jul 2021
1 Comment

National Moon Day


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National Moon Day
Posted in celebrations, Nature, Reflections, summer, Uncategorized and tagged ,

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