A good storm equals a perfect scene

Rain is in our forecast, and I'll admit I'm excited about it. We certainly need it to lower the temperatures, stop the dust from blowing and water just about everything. But that's not what has me hoping for rain.

I love a good storm. When the sky turns a deep shade of green it's dangerous, energizing, and beautiful. The dark shades of gray bring a hint of the darkness, brooding and angry. There is power in the buildup, calm in the lull of the rain and renewal of life in the aftermath. Add sound and light from thunder and lightening and you have the perfect stage. Anything can happen.

It's the perfect backdrop to feed my muse. All the elements to craft that perfect scene. My writing has been slow this month, and I blamed it on the heat. Summer sun. Most of my writing is done in the winter months, when night comes quicker, the kids are in bed early and the wind is howling outside. But even that compares to a good storm.

So the next time you see those clouds forming and hear that boom of thunder, just remember that somewhere someone is writing the perfect scene.

Summer in the South

The temperature today is 99. Tomorrow the weather channel is predicting 101, and Thursday we're looking at 104. We're baking down here. Here's a little something to make you laugh while you enjoy this heat wave. (author unknown)

Dear Diary:
May 30th: Just moved to Memphis, Tennessee...Now this is a city that knows how to live!! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. What a place! Watched the sunset from the River lying on a blanket. It was beautiful. I've finally found my home. I love it here.

June 14th: Really heating up. Got to 100 today. Not a problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun on the water everyday like this. I'm turning into a sun worshipper.

June 30th: Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of cactus and rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing lawn for me. Another scorcher today, but I love it here.

July 10th: The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least it's kind of windy though. But getting used to the heat and humidity is taking longer that I expected.

July 15th: Fell asleep by the pool. (Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body.) Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson though. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

July 25th: The wind sucks. It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!! And it's hot as hell. The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the A/C repairman charged $200 just to stop by and tell me he needed to order parts.

July 30th: Been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. $1,500 in damn house payments and we can't even go inside. Why did I ever come here?

August 4th: It's 105 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500 and gets the temperature down to 85, but this freaking humidity makes the house feel like it's about 95. I hate this stupid city.

August 8th: If another wise ass cracks, "Hot enough for you today?", I'm going to strangle him. Damn heat. By the time I get to work the radiator is boiling over, and my clothes are soaking wet!!

August 9th: Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts and sat on the black leather seats in the ol' car. I thought my ass was on fire. I lost two layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs.

August 10th: The weather report might as well be a damn recording. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do anything for 2 damn months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week!! Doesn't it ever rain in this damn desert?? Water rationing will be next, so might as well watch $1700 worth of cactus just dry up and blow into the damn pool. Even the cactus can't live in this damn heat.

August 15th: Welcome to HELL!!! Temperature got to 105 today. Forgot to crack the window and blew the damn windshield out of the car. The installer came to fix it and said, "Hot enough for you today?" My wife had to spend the $1500 house payment to bail me out of jail. Freaking South. What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here?

That'd be me! :)