I apologize in advance: #180: Great balls of fire 🔥

So here we are... almost into frickin AUGUST. This summer is just flying by. Of course, it flies by pretty quickly here; once it gets warm and stays that way we're good for only 4-5 months and then it's back to cooler weather and (hopefully) some snow.

Bike week is rapidly approaching. I'm curious to know how it's going to go. I thought last year was gonna be big--it was the 85th year and people like those kind of anniversaries. But it was very quiet. This year is the 250th anniversary of the country--so maybe there will be more going on this year.

All I know is that it's freakin HOT. 100 degree days and very little rain, and what is in the area keeps going around us. I haven't mown in several weeks up there, all the grass has turned dormant (it's brown) and you aren't supposed to run a mower over dry ground anyhow--that's a fire waiting to happen. So we watch and wait, and the grounds look horrible. On the exceptionally hot days I've been taking my folding camp chair out to a shady spot on the trail, along with a book and my trusty large thermos filled with iced tea or lemonade.

You know it's hot, as my roommate actually installed the window A/C unit! Usually we don't see that thing til at least mid-August. Today it hasn't been as bad though, so it's currently off and the windows are open and I have my fan going full blast. We're hoping for some rain soon, but I am not holding my breath. There was some thunder earlier, but like most days any rain in the area went right around us :/

Independence day was what you'd expect. There were more morons running around than usual and one even decided to block our driveway. What assholes. Glad THAT is over! At least for another year. Hopefully some of these people will find something ELSE to do next July 4th.

Eagerly looking forward to fall--will be time for warm hoodies, Halloween decor, and other fall goodies. We got hoodies for work, which I haven't worn to work yet since it's too hot, and I really don't want to mess it up with cleaning stuff. When it was still cool I wore it to bed some. It was very comfy. I also got a nice one from the store I work at a few hours a week; it's black and has a pink dragon on the back and reads "FANTASY READING CLUB: because everything is better with dragons". I couldn't agree more.