*squishes you tightly* What a wonderful trip! I'm so happy your family is doing so well, and congratulations to the newly-minted PhD! As a native midwesterner, I hear the rhythms of spring and summer so clearly in the poem you shared, complete with flickers of fireflies and the whine of insects and choruses of frogs. Just wonderful- thank you so much for sharing it!

And nothing says summer like homemade strawberry shortcake!