As Summer Drags On

After too much rain, the last few weeks have little to none. The lack of moisture is showing in browning yards, drooping bushes and trees showing signs of stress. I've seen it before, and if this continues, August may bring days in the low hundreds and brutal days at work.

I've been watching the birds adjust to the conditions. Where they once had numerous places to find water, they now stay close to drink from the bird bath in the yard. Even the robins that usually stay away are coming for a drink and searching for insects, where spilled water may drive the insects they crave from their deep hiding places in the ground.

Mornings bring unusually dry air, which makes the low eighty temperatures bearable; even comfortable for those like me that work in the heat. The pleasant lack of humidity makes for enjoyable cups of coffee as the sun rises.

A group of showers almost made it this evening. I'm guessing it's a sign the high pressure dome is moving, or weakening. If this continues, the next few weeks may bring the violent summer thunderstorms, with lightning lacing the tops of clouds as the storms weaken in the late evening. If so, there will be some fascinating light shows as the light of evening finally fades.

Time will tell, but the last month of summer is almost here. September will probably bring the first cool front of the season, and a night with temperatures in the sixties. That might seem tame to some, but for this area, it's the start of the time of year when it's most pleasant. I'm eager for those days. I've had enough of summer.