(#5304) Dog days of August

      I used to like august because it is my birth month. But lately I am not so enthused about August. For one thing my birthday is not a big deal to me anymore. The older I get the more it reminds me that my best days are behind me. Plus living here in Sacramento, California the heat in August is too much. June and July were hot as well but now that I have gotten to August the heat has worn me out and gives me little to get happy about. In the last several decades I have become a big fan of low temperatures like rain and snow. So these dog days are not bringing out the best in me.
     However here in Sacramento I will remain despite the heat and the constant allure of cooler climes like in the Seattle area. I have spent a lot of years in the northern area of Seattle and if there was a place I would go given the opportunity it would be back up to Seattle. The greenery and the cool temperatures are fantastic in my view. Whereas here in Sacramento the brown color of too much of the plant growth is indicative of how hot it is. Sacramento is my home town so I will always feel a sentimental attachment to it as well with social contacts but the diversity and the opportunity that Seattle offers even beyond the climate and view is special. Seattle will always be my second home.
     I hope this month is the last month that temperatures will reach over 100° but I expect September will try to thwart my hope. Yet September is the transition month traditionally and may well show drops in temperature instead of maintaining the ones from August. We will see how that happens this year with record high temperatures nearly every month. The older I get the harder it is for me to get outside in this heat and accomplish anything of any lengthy duration. So I have to time my outside time around the early morning hours or the late evening hours. Such is the life living in a hot part of the country.