IT'S THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER AND IT'S 94 DEGREES OUTSIDE!

OK...There have been a few times since I've lived at The Farm that the last week of September has been warm enough to wear shorts and a sleeveless shirt, but never, ever, do I remember the temperature in the mid-90's at this time of year. Yesterday and today have been almost unbearable, and I'm really trying NOT to turn on the air conditioner again, but as the sweat rolls off of me as I write this post, I'm quite tempted to do so. And furthermore, since we've gone without ANY rain for at least 2 months, the Earth is so incredibly parched that one little spark could literally torch 1000's of acres around here in no time flat. Actually, I'm a more than a little concerned about everything from low water tables to the animals in the wild. The streams dried up two weeks ago; there just isn't any water for them to drink.

I contemplated the drought during my celebration of the equinox over the weekend. Supposedly, it's a time of balance as we move into Libra....a time of equal light and dark, a celebration of the harvest yielded from our gardens, a time to bring the summer's work to an end and prepare for rest during the approaching cold, winter months. In my personal world, I feel balance and equilibrium for the most part. But as I listen to the screech owls howl, the hawks scream from above, and the coyotes in song at night, I wonder what they're sensing. They, much more than we humans, must feel the incredible Earth changes that are taking place now.

My hope is for a steady, lasting rain to come tomorrow.

On a lighter note, Eliza had a wonderful, perfect Homecoming evening with her date and friends. She looked so, so beautiful and radiant, and her boyfriend seems like he's a really, really good guy. I was very impressed with the ease with which he met and talked to me and with the courtesy and gentleman-ness with which he treated / treats Eliza. That girl has a pretty wonderful ability to magnetize and manifest good things in her life! Aren't they a "cute" couple?

And continuing on a lighter note, "catspunk" (a term invented by Brett) abounds in the house these days as Clousseau and Cato bounce around with unlimited energy. They make me laugh until I cry, and their antics almost always lead to some sort of blunder. Just like children, they play until they collapse, sleep a bit, and get up for another round of chase, attack, and wrestle. Clousseau is a bit larger and a little more coordinated and independent than Cato, but in the last couple of days, Cato has caught Clousseau off guard at the most opportune moments, and he's landed a few good blows. I have made a couple of videos of them on my camera, but so far, I haven't been successful at downloading them on my blog. I will keep trying, however. For the moment, here's a photo I took tonight.

I'm off to shower all the sweat rolling down my body...Peace to all Namasté readers..And, infinite love from The Farm....Love life!

T.