Today the temperature will be above thirty degrees centigrade, for the third day in a row. Over these three days the humidity has increased slowly and the air quality has steadily deteriorated. This morning's sun, peeping through the trees, was at first red and angry but was soon lost to the haze.

Last night the temperature did not drop below twenty degrees centigrade, and we were not able to effectively cool the house down over the course of the night. I spent a rather restless night, waking occasionally to experience the oppression of the atmosphere, then dropping off to sleep again. My fingers and toes have swollen, as they always do in the heat. My rings are tight bands, digging into puffy finger flesh.

It is 8:00 A.M. and the temperature outside has exceeded the temperature inside the house. Already I have closed the blinds, the curtains and the windows in an effort to minimize the penetration of the days heat.

I am taking advantage of the relative cool of the morning, to sit in the porch with my laptop and write. It is warm enough that the sweat of my brow causes my glasses to fog. I move my head this way and that to see past my fog to write this entry.

The summer kitchen is a resounding success. Across from me, on a small pine table, sits the Crock Pot. Today I am preparing Lentil Soup for the first time, with a recipe patched together from several I found on the internet. I will rename it Lazy Lentil Soup, because instead of chopping vegetables I threw all of them together in the food processor, whirled them around till they were chopped fine and “poured” them into the Crock Pot. After rinsing the processor bowl and lid the cleanup was done. If this soup passes the Attila taste test it will become a summer staple.

The day before yesterday I brought the hotplate out onto the porch and cooked pasta shells to use for a cold pasta salad. I have been preparing this same pasta salad recipe since 1970, it is a definite summer staple.

The weather reports from various sources predict cooler temperatures tomorrow. We shall see. The earlier predictions for today’s weather indicated a cool and comfortable day. Other summers these same reporters have promised cooler temperatures “tomorrow”. When tomorrow arrived, the reports still promised cooler temperatures “tomorrow”. Sometimes a week of tomorrows would pass before the temperature would drop. Perhaps science has reached beyond its abilities, or predictions have bowed to public demand. Either way, the weather report has a tenuous connection to reality.

Attila has completed the missing deck repairs. The door is gone, replaced by a window. The former deck has been removed and burned, the interior wall is completed and the exterior wall sports new siding and a fresh coat of paint.

Attila has also installed the snow guards on the north-facing roof, and replaced the vent pipe for the plumbing system. He has worked diligently, every evening and every day-off work since early April, to repair the damage caused when the snow came off the roof in March. We are both extremely relieved to put the project behind us.

Of course, when you own a home there is "always something". We are hoping to reach a proactive point, where the list of “somethings” are, for the most part, anticipated and dealt with before they bloom into large-scale projects.

One crazy teacup sits drying on a bat in the “studio”. It is an unusual and awkward little affair, hand built. I view it with affection and a critical eye. It will be sometime before my knowledge and skills can effectively assist my imagination and vision. My second piece has just been assembled, a mug with what Attila calls “teeth”. It is another unusual and awkward affair. The kiln will accommodate four such pieces and I have yet to discover the remaining two.

Progress is slow. Habits are in the process of being developed, and need careful consideration and attention. It is a journey of discovery.