What is currently annoying me most about the weather is not the obviously ludicrous levels of heat. I mean, sure, high of 105° or whatever it's been, but hey, I was begging for this three months ago. And having to spend much of my day in the freezers that this idiotic society calls "air conditioned buildings", it's really kind of nice to go outside and feel like a badly-flipped pancake still on the griddle.

And sure, ludicrously high humidity to go with it. But hey, spending time in a sauna is good for the soul! Sweats out all the bad stuff. And it's Maryland for you. My ancestors were among small percentage (something like 20% or less, if I recall) of early Maryland settlers who lived through an entire summer here, and then were bloody-minded enough to even stay for another; I'm bred to it! (Well, except for my lily-livered Northerner blood on Mom's side, but what can you do?)

No, what's currently cheesing me off is the *competition*. Suddenly going outside feels like warm bathwater, and all these other creatures want to live here. I mean, in the winter, I can leave a glass of milk out by my bed for two days and it's still good when I get around to drinking. Now? It's noticeably sour in about forty-five minutes. Can't leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight or they'll be covered with ants. (And don't even talk to me about the mosquitoes!) There's bird poo all over the car's windshield; I can't see around the corner at any of the stop signs because the weeds and gardens are bursting up so high; we have to mow the lawn like, twice a week. And then there's the way I've been scared half to death every morning this week when I walk out the front door and a bunny rabbit is sitting. six feet away. staring at me. evilly. and eating grass.

I am a person best suited to marginal habitats. I prefer my niches to be uncomfortable and specialized but *empty*, not having to fight tooth and claw for them. This tropical jungle thing is way too crowded for me. I want my snow and desolation back! Or failing that, a seashore. That counts as marginal too. (see my new layout? I'm working on something fancier on that theme for my main journal. mmm. Seashore.)

In other news, there's at least a dozen tomatoes bigger than a lacrosse ball out there already, and a whole bunch more smaller ones. Tomatoes! I forsee a lot of tomatoes for lunch in August. Or possibly home-made ketchup in our future.