Changeable Weather

Two days ago we had the hottest day of the summer - 93F, but unlike what they say in Tucson, it wasn't a dry heat! They do say if you don't like the weather, wait a bit, and they were sure right about that - today we have rain leftover from Hurricane Gustav and it is 63F! It has been raining pretty much all day and the local radar maps are a solid yellow over all of Illinois. No wind, just nice steady rain - welcome here after what has really been a relatively dry summer. The showers haven't been much of a deterrent to the wildlife - there has been a constant line of squirrels at the sunflower seeds Melinda put out yesterday, and a Great Blue Heron just walked by our little boat landing/beach on the river. With temps what they were, I just about froze my butt off coming out from my workout at the gym covered with sweat - a first for me here where it is still officially summer!

Oh, while I was off on my workout, Melinda grouted the slate hearth we set last weekend (even though I asked her to wait till I got back). Anyway, she says it was just as well I wasn't here taking pictures - the grout is sort of the color of poop and she says her hands were covered with it, save the diamond of her ring which she had forgotten to take off...