Turning 61 is hardly a milestone but Mother Nature has sent along a magnificent birthday gift, the first stretch of mild weather in months. Walking to work in a cool, east breeze, I felt energized and noticed the same effects on our neighborhood wildlife; cottontails scampered across the lawns, birdsong was more intense, a trio of young morning doves splashed in a roadside puddle and a cloud of restless starlings wheeled across the pink, morning sky.
Fortunately, unlike in recent weeks, this morning chill will not give way to a hot, humid afternoon; our high is expected to remain in the mid 70s F and, for the next week, maximum temperatures are forecast to stay below 85. This dramatic change, courtesy of a Canadian front, will benefit most of the country, from the Pacific Northwest to the Mid-Atlantic region but the dome of heat and drought will continue to plague most of Texas.
No doubt, summer heat will return before the glory of autumn sweeps across the Heartland but I, for one, appreciate the cool reprieve. Of course, an abundance of yardwork, neglected during the oppressive heat, lies in wait but, feeling energetic (and younger) in the fall-like air, I welcome the challenge.
