We're going hiking in Switzerland at the end of June, so my wife is trying to get me in shape. Sometimes, I'm convinced she's trying to kill me. We just got back at noon from the wooded ravine next to our property, and the temperature is 88°F (31°C). I got warm by the end of the hike, but not like I was going to die. So, maybe I'm getting in shape.

There has been good rainfall here this year after a four-year drought, but not a huge amount over the average. For some reason, the wildflowers are more profuse than I have ever seen them, and some varieties are much larger than what I usually see. The Mariposa lilies were the most spectacular ones this week, but there were maybe 25 other varieties we saw today. The Mariposa lilies were taller and had larger blossoms than I've seen before - and they were everywhere!

There is no rain forecast here for the next two weeks. I wonder if that means we've seen the last of rain until October. Here in the Sierra Foothills, we rarely have rain from June through September, although there are often afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains just east of us.

-Joe-