Tuesday--

Welcome to the first full day of summer. The solstice was yesterday. The temperature topped 90 by a degree or two and it should do the same today. Thunder storms may be coming in later today and sporadically through tomorrow which, we hope will be cooler. Gardening right now consists of gathering herbs for drying, watering and pruning a bit here and there to keep the tomatoes under control. The beans look like they are beginning to flower.

I said a couple of days ago that if Paul Ryan agreed to allow a vote on the gun control bills the Democrats filibustered to get to the floor, it was because he was sure they wouldn't pass. The benefit on the Republican side was they could bask in a (marginal) aura of being democratic and allowing other opinions to be heard while being assured their constituents (the NRA) wouldn't get their noses out of joint. The benefit to the Democrats: a pyrrhic victory that gives the illusion they are actually doing something. Smoke and mirrors. Well, the House voted down all of the bills. My cynicism was well justified.

I read this and expressed my opinion in some very bad language. My take: they simply couldn't allow a girl to win in a typically male competition.