I just flew in from France and boy are my arms tired. Okay, not my arms so much as my frontal cortex. But I will leave my complaints at that because my husband and I had a lovely time in the French Pyrenees. Mountains, gorgeous weather, French food, cheap, delicious wine--that's the formula, right?

I've got loads to chat about, but a certain manuscript has been pining for its author and I can't leave it mewling in the drawer for much longer. So for now, a brief commentary on how pretty this part of the planet is, especially in full spring bloom. We've seen lots of gobsmackingly beautiful wildflower displays in our time, but nothing compared to the flower riot in the mid-Pyrenees.

And it wasn't just nature on display, the locals had a hand in it as well. Here's a park in a teensy hamlet where we stopped for lunch.

This is one of my favorite images. Someone went to the trouble of placing flowers in an attic window simply to please passers-by. A random act of beauty.

The city of Narbonne was the last we visited. The city landscaper had a fine eye and a sizable budget because every bridge and railing looked like this one.

This flower-filled cart blew my mind, not just because it was such a cheerful sight but because of its location: outside a supermarket and gas station. Yup.

Maybe we should all participate in decorating the world more often, in small gestures or large ones, making the world a prettier place for anyone who happens to walk by.

Enjoy your summer, and each and every beautiful flower, mountain, beach and sky.