Friday, June 25, 2010

Maybe the end is near

Floods, swarms and eyeball-blistering heat. We got 'em all.

The river is waaaaay high. I don't think it'll get high enough that we have to boat in and out again. That's fortunate. We can't even get to our boat right now...unless we wanna swim to it. The stairs that lead down to the marina are flooded and there's no way to get to the dock...unless ya swim.

And today, there's an enormous mayfly bloom goin on. The biggest I've ever seen. Millions and millions of the ethereal little floaties. Everywhere.

They're really drawn to the neighbor's home. I'm assuming it's something to do with color. Our house is pale blue and we don't have nearly as many congregating here.
(Click on all photos to enlarge.)



They're also really attracted to our tiger lily bushes.



And the heat. Good gawd. It's supposed to get up to 95 tomorrow with a heat index of 105. Lovely.

Ah well. Summertime in Illinois.







Friday, June 18, 2010

Feeling bettah

I'm still bummed about losing my job. Sorta.

But I'm starting to actually look forward to it. A little.

Ok, a lot.

Now that I know it's coming, I'm already gone. In my head, anyway. My body's still there. Mostly.

I'd be really happy if this damned weather would cooperate. It's beastly hot, a storm blows through, dumps a couple of inches of rain and drops the temp 20 degrees, it blows over, the sun comes out, the temperature goes back up to 90 and the humidity closely follows.

It's like living in Florida...without the driverless Buicks putting down the highway at a hair-raising 35 miles an hour.

Case in point: this afternoon's storm, blowing in over the river.


(This photo made WEEK TV's weathercast at 6 tonight.)


Sunday, June 06, 2010

Even a bad day on the river is better than...

....uh. Wait. There's nothing better than a bad day on the river.

We haven't had a bad day on the river yet. And yesterday was no exception...it was absolutely, positively gorgeous. 82 degrees...a little bit of breeze...no humidity.

Awesome.

Ziggy, in his element, singin along with Buffett.


And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days. - James Russell Lowell


Cotton candy clouds.


And then it got kinda scary-lookin...


...then the clouds parted and it was beautiful again.


I swear...a few hours on that boat is absolute soul-soothing therapy.

Friday, June 04, 2010

I really needed to see this today



I've been really down in the dumps after getting the "official" word on Tuesday that I'll be out of a job on June 30. Actually, I'm afraid I'm sliding from "down in the dumps" to "clinical depression". I hate that I'm just so.....sad.

For almost four years, all I've heard is how important my job was...what a great service to the community...how meaningful it was. And now?

Eh. Not so much.

I think that's what bothers me the most. That and the fact that I have no fucking clue as to what I'll do now. I do know that I'll never go back to hospital nursing. I not only don't want to, but physically, I'm pretty sure that my bum knee just won't handle the 8 or 12 hour shifts anymore.

Frankly, I'm not even sure I want to stay in nursing, at all.

I've been really tempted to pick up the cigarettes again, too. In fact, I want one...right now. But I won't. I've come too far to screw it up now.

This perked me up a little, too. It was just so pretty.



We had one of those pop up spring showers earlier this afternoon...while the sun was still shining, even...and the rainbow and the unusual cloud formation was (were?) the result.

Ah well. I'll snap out of it, I'm sure.

Eventually.