The June prompt for the Canterbury Classics Jane Austen challenge is to plan a Summer picnic. As someone who loves picnicking, this was a prompt I’ve been looking forward to! Until the heat set in, and being outside turned gross. The worst of the heat arrives this week {help!}, with Extreme Heat Watches already in place. While it’s too hot for me to actually picnic outside right now, I do at least have the perfect place for doing so when the weather relents and normal Summer returns.
Dating during a pandemic, we spent many a Saturday having a car picnic. They were surprisingly fun, and we still enjoy a car picnic from time to time, but my new favorite is the porch picnic. Our “porch” is really a carport, but we use it for an outdoor living area rather than parking – especially since there’s a metal carport/covering on the other side. Last year our porch fell victim to “stuff” and we weren’t able to make good use of it, so we were determined to get it back in order this year.
Several weeks ago, we got everything out, scrubbed away all the spiderwebs and old dirt dauber nests, and hosed it all down. We scrubbed the chairs and table. We washed off the rug. It was a process, and we were absolutely soaked by the end, but it looked so much better. After everything dried, we decided to rearrange things a bit – when the table was closer to the entrance, it was far too easy to dump things there, which makes eating at the table extremely difficult. {You can see the old arrangement here}.
I love the new arrangement, and the way the space now feels like two separate living areas. I’ve got my planters filled with summer flowers, and added a couple hanging baskets. The theme this year is “soft pink,” from the begonias to the caladium to the geraniums, although if you ask my mom she’ll tell you that’s been my color theme since I was 2. And the fern is a refreshing pop of green.
It’s even more delightful in the evening, when the twinkle lights can work their magic.
We’ve already enjoyed many porch picnics for lunch and dinners, and I look forward to more of them in the months to come. Just … maybe not this week?
Do you enjoy picnicking? Where’s your favorite spot for outside dining?
If you’re in the path of the heat wave, I hope you stay safe and cool!
That reclaimed carport looks wondeful!
Summer is NOT a season for picnicking in Alabama. The few picnics I’ve done — always with my godsister who loves picnics — were in the spring, when we could find a dry spot between tornados.
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Thank you! We are very pleased with our efforts, and thoroughly using the space… when it’s not melting 🥵
Spring and Fall are really good picnic seasons. When you can dodge storms of course. If it’s not one thing it’s another 🙃
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I love a picnic-vibe, but in Scotland we always have a high possibility of having to cancel for rain lol
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Rain would definitely make a picnic less fun!
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I had to look dirt daubers up. I don’t think we get them here. At least I’ve never seen a wasp with such a skinny body. It sounds like a lot of work went into organising the space but it looks lovely and seems like a wonderful place to have picnics. Love the sign that you’ve got too and all of the flowers. I hope the heat doesn’t get too unbearable. We’ve just gotten out of our heatwave and it’s definitely a relief for temperatures to be more normal again.
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Dirt daubers are wild little things, and will build their tunnels everywhere and anywhere – including electrical outlets 😂 Thank you, we are loving the porch so much this year, and waiting waiting waiting for the heat to move on… looks like one more really really dangerous hot day and then hopefully it’ll drop down some 🤞 Glad y’all are on the other side!
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Oh wow that sounds like it could cause a lot of issues. I’m definitely relieved we don’t have them here. It looks lovely so I’m not surprised 🥰 I hope you find a way to cope with the heat and that tomorrow proves to be cooler as you expect it to be. Drink lots of iced drinks and stay safe ❤️❤️
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Usually it’s just messy, thankfully, but yeah. Good times, ha. Thank you! We are staying inside as much as possible during the heat of the day, minus taking the chickies fresh cold water ❤
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I hope the temperatures more bearable by now and that the chickens were okay throughout it ❤️
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The chickies have done well! The littlest ones even went sunbathing, lol … It’s been better today, but we’ve got more 90s in the forecast 😮
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Oh wow sounds like they were more impressed by the weather than you then 😅 I had to Google what that is in °C but it sounds extreme. I think we were predicted the low end of that scale (and I wouldn’t be surprised if we had it on Tuesday as it was awful). I saw on a weather map including more of Europe that somewhere had 50 (122) as a temperature though and just no. How the hell does anyone survive that???
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No, no, no, no. 50C/122F is WAY TOO HOT! That’s just wrong, and I feel deeply sorry for anyone who had those temps … especially if there was any humidity. Whew. I think I’ll stick to my 90s 😅
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I 100% agree. I saw somewhere listed as 38 to start with and was horrified enough by that. Then I saw the 50 and couldn’t believe it. I think some kinds of heat can feel different than others but surely if it’s that high it’s unbearable whatever?
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Definitely. If it’s a lower heat, then the humidity levels makes a huge difference in how yucky it feels, but when it gets past a certain point it doesn’t matter if it’s dry or humid: it’s just plain wrong 😂
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I’ve only really experienced the heat here in the UK which always seems to fall on the humid side of things. But no one could convince me to test out those 50 type temperatures for comparison either way 😂
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Absolutely love your outdoor space, Rebecca. And I have that same Porch Rules sign 🙂
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Great minds 🩷🙂
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This looks gorgeous! 😍 It sounds like it was a lot of hard work, but worth it for the final result. I love your porch rules sign, too! I think I like the idea of picnics more than I do the actual thing: between heat and insects, I never seem to be able to relax and enjoy myself 😂 Stay safe during the heatwave, and hope it relents soon so you can enjoy this beautiful space!
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Thank you! ❤ I definitely prefer picnics at tables rather than "on the ground" for exactly the insect reason 😂
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We love picnics. Picnics everywhere! This year we are more porch picnickers as well, now that we have new deck area. But as you and I have talked about, car picnics are fun too. Lol.
Our heat wave ended last night, thank goodness!! Good luck starting yours!! Stay cool!!
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Love the picnic life! ❤ Yeah, y'all have an amazing deck for picnicking now 😀
Hopefully today is the last really really bad day? Hopefully? Glad y'all made it through the heat! ❤
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What a great setup! I love the idea of a picnic with all the amenities of home right there. The sign is so cute and the twinkle lights look magical.
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It is so lovely to be able to just run inside when I need more tea, or if we drop a fork or something. I’ve decided the world needs more twinkle lights {I’ve got them in my living room too, on top of my bookshelves and in my Norfolk Island pine} ❤
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[…] releases I’m looking forward to, and we are impatiently waiting for the heat to break so our porch picnics can resume. There were numerous gorgeous sunsets and a much needed weekend […]
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