Though the summer solstice is still a month away, hot, humid air has moved into central Missouri. These summer-like conditions are forecast to stick around for the rest of the week but, for all practical purposes, we can expect them to dominate our weather through mid September.
Down at our local nature preserve, it could be June. The greenery is luxuriant, insects have reclaimed the land, the summer songbirds have all returned and the wetlands are alive with various frogs, water snakes and aquatic turtles. Only the lack of summer wildflowers belies the season.
For those of us who are not thrilled by hot, sticky weather, this early taste of a Midwestern summer is a bit unsettling; hopefully, an occasional Canadian front will come to our rescue. If not, I'll confine my outdoor jaunts to the early morning and evening hours and be glad (at least for the next few months) that I have an indoor job.
