Good morning, again, everyone. Warm and muggy today going to hot and muggy. But we have the promise of 80s for the next week. I really need to get out in the gardens because I have a lot of trimming to do. Also the cherry tomato is showing signs of heat stress and early blight. I am thankful that the Roma next to it looks fine. For the most part, Lois, the gardens are looking very good considering 19 days of 90+ and not enough rain to hardly wet the ground. The really drenching and flooding rains fell north and west of here. And when we did get a goodly bid it was in one fell swoop, like that 4 inches in two hours a bit over a week ago. But I will say this year's garden is the best I have had since I started keeping more than a could of scrawny plants on that cement slab. I need to dead head the marigolds--another job I have put off because of the heat. Mom and I have complained constantly this summer that we simply don't tolerate the heat well any more and remembering times that don't really seem that long ago when this summer would not have phased us at all. I guess we can be thankful that we aren't living in Texas and other parts that are still directly under that heat dome.

Sorry, Snowbrush, that your original comments didn't make it on. Hope you visit and try again.

I agree, Kay. I have come to tune out certain people because 1) their sanctimony puts my back up something fierce, 2) they trot out the same old arguments without anything new and the same old unproven assumptions, and 3) with the same old claims that they have the royal road to jobs and economic growth but without any scrutiny to see if the claims have any logical structure. The only question is which group of Americans they think they can safely kick under the bus this time.

Helen at Margaret and Helen has the perfect take on our current political situation. Can't say it better myself.