July started with camping out on our land by the Little Tallapoosa River in Alabama for the holiday weekend, including time on Lake Wedowee. A few days later, we picked up our son from camp and went out on Lake Lanier with friends before driving up to Nashville for a legal conference for a few days before all 3 children went off to camp for 2 weeks (we did our first family “escape room” experience before they left) on the eldest’s 17th birthday.

The Mrs. and I flew to Charleston for a few days to stay at Isle of Palms for another legal conference (I mediated a case from the Delta SkyClub right before takeoff), and the month concluded with another weekend on the Tallapoosa (with friends from high school this time) and seeing Barbie.

In between all of this, I took time during breakfast to startle a squirrel into losing its grip on our (supposedly squirrel-proof) bird feeder and plummeting to a painful crash landing (I hope) over boiled eggs and avocados.

What the clips don’t show is my associate’s attorney’s resignation during the July 4 holiday weekend (we were closed Monday but I worked anyway and exchanged some Slack messages with him), and a bunch of sleepless nights wondering how to handle the biggest caseload I’ve ever had while revenue is down and time is finite. After cancelling several events and plans, August should bring a lot of time in the office for what a sports fan might call “rebuilding season.” I just don’t know how long this season will last.