Le Temps

[akujunkan]

The longer I live in Homeland Center, the more I come to understand that it, too, has a 梅雨. The past month or so has alternated between periods of intense heat and humidity, and even more intense thunderstorms.

As someone who spent a fair portion of the last decade in Asia, the former doesn't bother me as much as it does other H.C. transplants. After all, I've been dealing with it for years, and at least now I get to do so with air conditioning and insulated walls.

As for the latter, I have always loved storms. And with the landparents gone, I am free to observe them from the Upper Levels whenever I desire. I've seen some pretty excellent stuff, from a bunch of wrens waiting a truly torrential downpour under the front eaves and a mourning dove lifting alternate wings to the rain in order to bathe on the power lines behind the house.

Last week, I saw lightening strike a tree in the neighbor's yard. Today, I watched another storm blow that tree over. A bit frightening, but pretty amazing all the same.

That will be all.

Comments

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

I've always thought from the way people describe Japanese summers that they sound a lot like DC in summer. Some say I can't imagine how awful a Tokyo summer truly is... I tell them, they've never had to haul tourists all over the Washington Mall in DC in August. I laugh at humidity levels below 90 percent.

But yes, A/C makes ALL the difference. The most miserable heat wave I ever weathered was an 85 degree heat wave in Oxford -- with no air conditioning, anywhere, not even in the movie theaters. At one point I just filled a bath with ice water and sat in it for a while. God.

I would love to get together for coffee, btw! What is a good day for you? It looks like I might be here all week, and I don't have much (=anything) scheduled.

[akujunkan.livejournal.com]

Awesome! (More of a real comment later, I'm exhausted ATM.) Anyway, I've got tomorrow free, Thursday after 5pm, Friday pre-9pm...and onward into next week.) Also, where are you in DC, or were would you like to meet? I'm smack dab in the Northwest, but can get pretty much anywhere with a minimum of hassle.

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

Anytime today would be cool, or Friday would work too. Email me? (stanaquil AT comcast DOT net) I'm phone-phobic ^_^;;, and I can't quite figure out the code on your reverse phone number anyway. ^_~

I'm in the NW also, near Silver Spring. I have my car, or I can park at the metro and get into the city that way. Do you have a favorite coffee hangout?