My favorite time of year has returned: Outdoor Reading Season. The oppressive heat and humidity of summer have moved south, replaced by relatively cool air and less intense sunshine. Great conditions for reading (and/or napping).
Those who can only read in silent rooms will find outdoor reading nearly impossible. The nearby and distant whine of mowers and leaf blowers is, unfortunately, ever present. Then there are the chatter of squirrels, the raucous calls of jays and crows and the softer but persistent yanks of nuthatches.
But the weather is perfect for absorbing a chapter or two or, better yet, a truly-short short story. One has his or her limits and those are mine.
