Though August is only a week away, it looks like May in the American Heartland. After weeks of hot, humid weather and regular, torrential rains, lush greenery still dominates the landscape, an unusual sight for late July. Vines have assaulted the fences and shrubbery and now adorn the sides of our deck. Our lawnmower, often nearly idle by August, is still getting a weekly workout since the grass, usually dry and yellowing by this date, is as thick and vigorous as it was in the spring.
This morning, a trip to our local wetland preserve highlighted the effects of our tropical weather. Summer wildflowers, which carpet the central prairie, were lost in a sea of tall, lush grass and the dense greenery of shrubs and trees narrowed the vista at every turn. Green frogs and bullfrogs croaked from the vast shallows of the seasonal lake which, by late July, is usually flanked by broad mudflats. Only patches of hazy, blue sky and the bright flashes of goldfinches, cardinals and indigo buntings provided contrast with the sea of green.
Whether August will extend this unseasonable verdancy or accelerate the transition toward autumn is anyone's guess but the jet stream seems to have settled over the Midwest for now. Until it moves on, we can expect more of the same: hot, humid air, frequent heavy rains and unbridled vegetation.
