20 JUL 25

Wake to a full panel of earthquakes raging off the Pacific coast of Russia ranging from 6.0 – 7.5 early that morning...

Yali is having a good day... already two church grannies at the eight o'clock service have commented on how tall he's getting... chest puffs out a little walking down the hall to Sunday School...

Mood changes a couple of hours later raging around the house looking for bandages for cut fingers...

...as Puck hides a smile over the “grow light” bulb he's stealthily planted in the hallway bathroom... flooded in neon violet-pink light... blinding...

A couple of more hours and we're all out in O'Fallon at J's high school graduation party in a 108 heat index... but there are oscillating fans and chili dogs and cold pasta salads and beanbag toss in the shade...

Evening at home... sheltering from heat... Patience pulls up next to me on the couch for a re-viewing of one of her current favorites – “Pride & Prejudice” – while she tries on every pair of socks in her drawer to see what they look like with her new shoes...

After nine o'clock... sprawled out on the trampoline with Oxbear as Puck drives home... watching the show... lights explode silently in the north sky... spattered stars... peepers heavy in the honeysuckle hedge electric green... stray firefly in the night heat...