Last night we got our first set of early fireworks. Normally that kind of thing makes you pretty happy. The rogue fireworks can be pretty good in my town sometimes. Last night though, I froze a bit. I knew we were close to the holiday, but it hadn't sunk in that meant shooting projectiles of fire.

California is a looking a little ragged right now. Lawns are dead. People aren't washing their cars. And the spiders have taken over yards with their webs. And it's only June! I was going to start spitting out pictures soon because even some of the trees are looking dead. I'm sure they will come back when the rain comes, but still. It's pretty sad looking. Plus - natures hair dyer (the wind) has been worse lately. Not bad like SoCal, but just bad enough that it makes everything dry out. I'm fighting the good fight with my garden, but you can't believe how fast the soil dries out.