Scorched earth

It rained last night. Haven’t been able to type THAT sentence around these parts for a long time! Yeah, it’s been quite dry – and mostly hot, too! – for most of this summer. Yesterday’s first 11a practice for the men was a scorcher with much attrition. I was not forward thinking enough (like Coach Chuck) to call for an early-morning practice, which would have ameliorated the midday heat. Walking on the rugby field at Vassar Farm, where the men were doing a timed fartlek workout, the crunching of the dry, hard – and yes, scorched – grass was incredible. Don’t remember it being this dry in many decades (the summer of 1995, when we got married, is the only one that comes to mind; that’s a long time ago!). Along with this came the news that one of our team’s Happy Places – Minnewaska State Park Preserve – was closed due a fire caused by a lightning strike. That’s how dry it is. Now, this pales in comparison to the raging infernos out West, but “forest fires” just don’t happen in this part of the country that frequently. So last night’s soaking rain was a welcome sight and sound. The humidity is ebbing. Tomorrow, the calendar turns to September. For someone who complains a lot about cold and wet conditions? Cooler and damper is sounding really good right about now.