RAIN

My children are in no way deprived, nor do I shelter them.

However, rain is hard to come by in these parts, so when a burst of a Thunderstorm blew to the area this afternoon, they ran from the garage to the front yard to wait for puddles to form.  When they did, there was no stopping the curiosity of three children. 

Lars grabbed a couple of his Cars cars (Rusty and Fred, I think) and headed to the curb.  In a matter of minutes, the poor vehicles were being swept away in a torrential flood, into the storm drain and out to sea. 

Eden took to the gutters to run as fast as she could up and down the moving water, Elia closely in tow, doing as big sister did.  Every once in a while (though not caught on film), her hands flung out to both sides, her head tipped back and her mouth opened up to the sweet, wet feel of the drops. 

Thank you, God, for the rain.  A men. 

Now to be with the slew of firefighters out there dousing the lightening struck fields that are now burning up the prairie in every direction of Bridgeport..... water and sandwiches, anyone??

It's Hot Here

Is it just me or is it really hot this summer? And I mean hot all over.

In Michigan, surrounded by lakes that are bigger than many of the states on the Eastern seaboard, we could swelter in 85 degree heat with humidity that is unmeasurable except in the lungs of the asthmatics, and we'd wish we were someplace that boasted a 'dry heat', but accept the fact that we were just tougher than the rest and could handle it.  

In Western Nebraska, surrounded by the sandhills and no trees,  we are that 'dry heat' that is most certainly measurable by looking at the thermometer and saying, "wow, that's hot" and we wish we were someplace that was humid with a needle below 104 degrees.  Yet, we can also brag about being hot and arid and being able to stand the test of 100+ degree days with no problems what-so-ever, and accept the fact that we are just tougher than the rest and can handle it.

Funny how life is when you look at it from different perspectives. 

And even with all that heat experience, both humid and not, it's just plain hot all over.  My flowers look dehydrated, with shriveling vegetables to match. The kids are lifeless when not dressed in a swimsuit. The grass is dry and pokey with dead patches all over and if you look around and can't find your neighbors, it's because many of them have shriveled up and taken to the indoors themselves.

What did the pioneers do without Air Conditioning?

What are you doing to beat the heat?