But hot probably is better than torrentially rainy.

Hot doesn't tear up the countryside and flood places.

My sympathies are with all those affected by Irene.

Things will never be "back to normal," but a new "normal" will emerge.


As I said, today was another hot one. Temperatures in the upper nineties are not particularly common here, nor is the lack of afternoon showers.

My activity level reflected the heat.

A trip to WalMart late in the morning for miscellaneous stuff (including more drinks and critter food) and then a bit of a nap in the afternoon, and I'm in a fairly good mood.

I also had a letter from a long-time (since 1961) friend.

When our respective husbands got transferred to different places back in the early 60s we went to letter-writing. And have kept it up for almost 50 years.

Both of us are (of course) grandmothers, and we are also both widows. The latter sort of comes with being in one's mid-70s.

Tomorrow I need to work on getting the house into a little less disorder. At least I remembered to put out the trash this evening. I forgot last week, so there are two barrels waiting for the pick-up man.

I wouldn't say the little raccoons are spoiled, but two or three of them show up on the porch when they hear the cats being fed. One of them sits in front of the (closed) screen door trying to look pitiful and famished. The others are learning the trick.

I expect they will continue to be regular visitors until their hormones start to stir in the spring and their siblings become competitors for the "affections" of lady raccoons. And they want to establish their own territories.

Later this evening I'll put out their midnight snack--generic dog biscuits. That will scatter the group as they head off to eat in private.

That's it for an essentiall IUD.