A’s been a strange month. Covid has made it impossible to do much together and then Barbara went on vacation (more about that below) and like a snap, July is gone. We’re hoping to get the most out of the next month, including our A & B reading challenges.

New streaming series: America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston

Laura: This new PBS show explores our relationships with outdoor spaces and I find it to be relaxing, educational and enjoyable. A welcome trio! As a former Southern California gal for more than 25  years, I chose to first watch the Los Angeles segment. I was fascinated with some aspects of this episode, particularly the portion toward the end that showed how clueless we are that we are swimming close to sharks. A jaw dropper of a reveal (pun intended)! Next I watched the episode on Appalachia and discovered not only that I have been mispronouncing this area forever but how little I know of this region. When your personal travel days are on hold, being able to “visit” new places and learn new things is a real treat and this show delivers.

New Activity – Arctic Adventure in Iceland

Barbara: This has been the year of cold weather travel. First Norway in February and now Iceland. Iceland was a land of surprises for me. First, I had little expectations for the food (unknown why) but it was delicious! The seafood was the best I’ve ever tasted, and they eat a lot of lamb, so I was in my happy place. I tried whale (not bad, like steak with a little fish undertone) and sticky toffee pudding (oh my!) plus had the best hot dog this New York gal has ever eaten (made with lamb, of course). And the landscape was haunting and unusual, from stunning waterfalls to lava fields to geysers and craters and caves, etc. They don’t plant many trees because they want to be able to see nature and I don’t blame them. I can definitely recommend a trip to this beautiful country.

New streaming series: Africa , Season 2 of Moving Art

Laura: Another amazing show. Love this. Moving Art has no words, no plot. Just beautiful and inspirational visuals that provide a 30-minute journey of spectacular wildlife and terrain. For “A” month, I watch the episode on Africa and next I went to Iceland so I could have somewhat of an inkling of what Barbara was seeing. I absolutely love this show! Now, when I just want to totally relax and feed my soul, I will tune in to this show and be moved!