A splendid late June evening in Maine....

[JimHow]

...on the back deck.
My favorite time of year.

[JCNorthway]

Jim, I can relate to that. I'm not in Maine, but in the Midwest. However, during the summer, there is nothing better that being able to enjoy the outdoors - especially if you have a nice bottle of 2012 Burgundy!

We were just up on the rood deck of our loft apartment tonight, and we commented that we were committed to being up there every night of the year that the weather cooperated. Tonight, our's was an inexpensive 2015 Thunevin St. Emilion with grilled loin lamb chops; pretty darn enjoyable for about $13 a bottle.

[JimHow]

Sounds like you guys have settled in nicely, Jon.

[JCNorthway]

Yes, we are enjoying things in Detroit. It's not Chicago by any stretch of the imagination. But there are positive things happening, and that, in and of itself, is a change from the recent past. We are in our loft for another year, and intend to take full advantage of where we are. Next June - no idea where we will be. I'm actually contemplating stepping back from full-time work. Scary to think about.

[dstgolf]

Jon,

I'm just in the Windsor airport lounge heading back to Ottawa following paying my respects this afternoon following the loss of a very dear friend. I lived in Windsor 1 year in 1990 my first year in practice and today is one of many reasons that I'm happy that we left and I'm sure that you're experiencing the same across the river.....it's a steamy cooker of a day today not fun in a suit and going to continue to get worse through the weekend. Hope that you are well during the transition and just try and keep cool.
I think Jim may have a little cooler environment in Maine but it looks like it will be super hot through the northeast this weekend blessing Canada Day on Sunday with the thermometer to reach 40 celsius or 104 F with humidex 47 or 117 F. Maybe there is something about global warming. Looking forward to getting back home late tonight and a quick dip in the pool before I restart call in the am.

[Claret]

104F with humidity is rough Danny. I am happy to have moved to the high desert.

[JimHow]

It's going to be hot and humid here in Maine this week. Just as I like it. This is my favorite time of year. Ah, midsummer.

[JimHow]

Sitting here in the shade on a tremendous Sunday morning.
It's hot. Just finished mowing the back yard, everything is fragrant and minty.
Looks like we're going to get a great crop of cucumbers this year, they are my back deck lunch for about a month and a half in July-August.
Gonna go search for a half peck of fresh peas, we eat then raw in the summer.
The season is short, though, about two weeks in early July.
Ah, life is good!

[dstgolf]

Jim,

Steamy hot here today on this glorious Canada Day. We're ready for company and set to have a combined mother-in-law birthday Canada Day Celebration.

The gardens are fabulous around the house this year with the garlic ready to come out this year with just over 200 plants. Yes we eat a lot of garlic. Tomatoes,cucumbers,lettuce,kohlrabi,cabbage,beets,carrots and herbs all doing well. Lavender suffered through the harsh winter but grapevine thriving. A nice day to be off the links and sip a few cool ones beside the pool.

A few garden shots to share ready for the fête today.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XS5U3egUixocDRtA8

[stefan]

Happy Canada Day, Danny. Have a great celebration.

[robert goulet]

Great view Jim....looks like a perfect spot to conjure up deep thoughts

[JimHow]

Yes I wrote a large chunk of my novel on that back deck, BobbyG, we have had several BWEers there.
Just had a couple lobster rolls and lit up some M-60 firecrackers.

[JCNorthway]

Danny,

We arrived back in Detroit late afternoon on Sunday from a weekend in Chicago. Both cities had 95+ degree days on Sat and Sun, and with humidity. I'm jealous of yours and Jim's gardens. That is what I miss the most from my upbringing in more rural parts of the country. At least I can find some decent produce in local farmers' markets (with careful scrutiny about provenance).

It is moderating just a bit late on Sunday evening - may get a bit of rain in the middle of the night. Thank goodness for air conditioning on those few days a year that it really is a life saver!

[robert goulet]

BWE convention...Jim's backyard

[dstgolf]

Broke a record for heat yesterday on Canada Day....as forecast with humidex we got to 47C. Thank god we spent most of the day by the pool with the family. Nice to have almost everyone home and it was a fabulous day all around ending with some wonderful singing/guitar playing by our future daughter-in-law. Danielle's happy foot was was tapping most of the day. She's not been feeling well the last few months ...still not over a bout of food poisoning from New Orleans back in April. Her son and mother were home so all of booboos were gone. Great weekend and its not over.

[dstgolf]

Not unusual after record heat comes the heat breaking storm. Just before dinner today a storm cell ripped through our neighbourhood and thankfully nobody that we know of was injured but many trees are down, roofs missing shingles,gazebos destroyed and anything that wasn't secured was blown around the neighbourhood.
Lightning felled an old maple 1 door up from us and a century oak is no more. A few photos to share.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FBnKEg6FEpSKgXUt8

[robert goulet]

Heyyy... starting to look like Fla!!
Gald no one was hurt...where is this?

[dstgolf]

RG,

It looked like a Fla hurricane +/- tornado rip through east end Ottawa tonight just before dinner. Nice way to end Canada Day weekend....not! A lot of people will return from out of town and wonder what the hell happened. We haven't seen a storm quite this bad in years but very localized to our neighbourhood and headed east. When we drove our son to the airport less than a mile from home it was like nothing happened!!

[stefan]

Wow, Danny. I did not know that Texas weather extend that far north.

[dstgolf]

Must have something to do with all of that hot air being produced in the Nations Capitol and the horse shit that DJT is spreading around the world.