jhetley

Smartweed blooming, also called lady-fingers, white water lilies in the cemetery pond, usual supply of goldenrod and chicory and tansy. A few asters, but it's early for them still. Purple loosestrife setting seed.

No geese at the pond, either on my way out or coming back. Don't now what's up with that. One roadkill red squirrel in the next town up, crow in attendance for the rites. Also, largish splash of blood, could be deer or raccoon, but no corpse for ID.

Got out on the bike, air temperature upper 60s F and gusty wind, up to the golf course and over to the road through the bog. Did not die.

15.36 miles, 1:28:45

So, can we expect him to swap Alaska for a Moscow hotel franchise?

Air temperature 68 F, wind near calm, fog at the airport for visibility about a mile. Not seen here, but the radio towers seem to have vanished. They have offered us a chance of showers or thundershowers, but the only green globs on the weather radar are well north of here. Should be able to get out for a walk.

Well, the air quality is now up into "unhealthy" at the airport. And air temperature 88 F. Glad I got my walking done already . . .

We're leading up to a concert by the city band in the park this evening. Wonder if they'll have a supply of iced water for the band members and audience. Digital thermometer on that side of the house reads 94 F at the moment.

I've seen two people out jogging in this hellish air. Heat stroke is a thing, people . . .

And he hasn't even had to burn down the Reichstag to do it.

Air temperature 61 F, wind north about 1 mph, partly cloudy. Air quality "moderate" with AQI 74, PM2.5 imported fresh from Canada with no tariff. Walk rather than bike ride, and if I have the energy after I'll snip some more used-up hosta flower stalks. Messy plants, but the bees and hummingbirds like them.

Couple of mummified squirrels on my route, one bit of flattened fur that I would call a woodchuck if it wasn't for the pale underside so it could have been a marten, a patch of feathers gray and white that I think was one of my standard mockingbirds. Or maybe a youngster from that family, operating on a student pilot's license . . .

Usual late summer flowers, tansy and goldenrod and chicory and Queen Anne's lace. City has mowed some milkweed, tough luck monarchs.

No interesting metal birds out at the airport/base. Only air traffic was a noisy light plane landing.

Got out on the bike, across town and back over the hills and dales. Air temperature either 77 or 82 F, depending on which thermometer you choose, excessive for elderly cyclists and gonna get worse. Did not die.

15.69 miles, 1:28:34

Air temperature 59 F, wind near calm, partly cloudy. With no rain in the forecast until next week (maybe), have hauled water to the salvia transplants out front. Walk later.