August 7

 Sunny morning. The Weather Channel has changed its forecast for us. They had predicted three days of rain but that has been replaced with sun and mild temps right around 80°. The gardens are looking somewhat like the late season jungle I usually expect. I should get out and cut some of them back. I got ahead of the diplodenias and have them started up trellises. They are blooming nicely. I just looked up information on asiatic lilies because mine have about filled up their container and I need dig them up to separate bulbs for replanting in the fall. They aren't ready yet quite yet. 

Well, Harris finally made her choice of running mate: Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota. I will make a couple of observations. First, the difference between the rally last night which introduced Walz and a Trump rally was amazing. No whining, no self pity, no disparaging of minorities, immigrants, or women. But there was a lot of joy which was refreshing. That has been a quality missing from the Democratic Party since the end of the Obama administration. Second, it was also refreshing to see candidates proposing something other than rounding up and deporting a bunch of people they don't like. Or accusing those people of taking "black" jobs. Third, if I were a betting person I would bet that we won't see any "debates" this time around. Trump has already pulled out of the originally scheduled debate insisting on a "friendly" venue with "sympathetic" moderators. He promises to be on Fox while Harris has insisted she will be at the CBS debate Trump originally agreed to. Too bad. He obviously doesn't want to face an opponent with more functioning brain cells than he has. Fourth, my favorite line was when Walz told the audience that the party that used to proclaim its love of freedom(Republicans) wants the government to be free to invade our doctors' offices and even wants to outlaw IVF, the procedure that allowed Walz and his wife to have their children. He then said what I have said before: on issues like abortion or IVF or what have you, if you don't approve then don't do what ever it is you don't approve of. He then said that in Minnesota they had a rule for that: MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.