Afoul of the Weather

There are two crickets a few feet apart in my lawn. One chirps much louder than the other, and at a slightly different speed. They sync up for a few chirps, then gradually go into ragtime, then call and response, then back to ragtime, and finally re-synchronize. I think they are trying to hypnotize me. I let the cat out, and she is now stalking them. They must be taught that they can't get away with trying to control my mind!

It is a bit unnerving how hot this house stays at night, even when the outdoor temperature has dropped considerably. Some small fissure in the walls of Hell must lead directly to a spot under my foundations. But if so, it closes up in winter.

As Sluggo chose to entertain himself by showing me his blue screen several times tonight, I did a great deal of doing nothing. I briefly considered going out to the garage to make another stab at sorting through the boxes, but decided against such a vulgar display of ambition. Instead, I watched the Coupling marathon on BBC America. Yay, cable. Then I read some Gilbert Sorrentino from the long-lost volume I unearthed Saturday night. I found a brief poem I like very much, and I lack the patience to wait until next Sunday to post it, so I am presenting for the first (and possibly only) time--

( Monday Verse )

Sultry

Shockingly warm, in fact. I'd say I have five minutes left, and then the Slug will have to cool for at least four hours. On the positive side, the heat has caused every aromatic plant to spew forth its scent, and the whole town smells of jasmine and honeysuckle and other sweet things, offset by a bit of pine resin and all the grassy things of the fields. It is quite a heady combination. Apparently, nothing to which I am allergic is among the blooming plants, as my breathing is fine. Maybe they are all past the pollen stage. The heat is here to stay for the time being, though. I'll be around less for the next few days, lingering in the shade, hanging out in the coolest part of the house, maybe reading by the dimmest practicable light. Time for a shower now. If there were an old swimming hole around here, that's where I'd be.