I still have loads of things to tell you about New York and pictures to show. So much so, that I'm on the verge of being that person that wants to host a party to show you my vacation slide show. I am not that mean. Instead I've been parceling them out to day by day. The only problem with that is that I haven't been keeping up with the pictures and the uploading and the editing (though, to be fair, I've done very little photo editing of these pictures). I've reached a plateau in my story, but my brain has been too focused on other things (like work and scooter tags) to move forward with the tale. Also, it's too hot. Last summer I laughed at KCMO's idea of summer. There was a week of 100 degrees and then the rest of the summer was just in the low to mid 90s and there was rain. Meanwhile, Oklahoma ran a 110 degree temperature for the entire summer. This summer looks like Oklahoma's summer. We are now into our second (maybe even third) week of over 100 degrees. There are cracks in my yard and grass crunches underfoot. Outside even sounds hot. The crickets and cicadas are the sound of heat. I've taken to leaving Hooper inside during the day and I don't think he's too thrilled. I'll let him out in the morning to do his thing and patrol while I eat breakfast, but when I call him to come inside, he darn near refuses. I have to follow him in one lap of a patrol around the back yard before I can convince him that he will boil if he stays out here all day. The best thing about this heat/drought is that I haven't had to mow my yard in two weeks.

When I was a kid, we used to pack up the trailer and head to Colorado this time of year. We did it to escape the heat. I've been thinking of this, of getting out the camp gear and heading out to some place cool for the weekend. The only problem is that most of the country is experiencing this heatwave and to get to cooler weather, I'd need more time then a weekend. MO is under a burn ban and I stick to Chris's rule of "no camping without a camp fire". I can hear my mother gasping with worry at the thought of me off camping by myself. I may not own a firearm, but I do have a bat (one purchased just for protection while camping, how caveman). No...I'll get out the gear, clean it up and organized and just be ready. In the meantime I will do the morning patrol around the back yard with Hooper and water the garden every evening. I'll dream of cooler weather and rain while I move slowly through this heatwave.