Thor Rages

Clouds swirl above Mallard Point Lake on Friday, June 21. Photo by Sallie Showalter.

​Thor finally took a day off.

Mind you, not a full 24 hours. But from sunup to sundown on Friday we had no storms. No rain. We even had some moments of sun. It was a welcome respite after days of threatening weather.

​But later that night, the heavy rain returned and we’ve bounced in and out of splotchy sunshine and rowdy storms ever since. 

​I’ll spare you another screed about climate change. What’s the point? We’ve all heard about continuing flooding across the Midwest, the South, and even the Northeast. Homes and businesses damaged, lives lost. Let’s just get used to it, shall we?

​Now that summer is here, the forecast indicates we may finally move into a drier pattern, at least temporarily. The Mississippi River is below flood level in some areas. Sunshine is predicted here in Kentucky this week. There may be opportunities to get out and enjoy the seasonal wildflowers as they once again stand tall among the impudent mushrooms.

A few Black-eyed Susans intrude on a patch of Butterfly Weed along the lakeshore. Photo by Sallie Showalter.

​Unlike Thor, I’ve managed to take more than a day of rest this month. I’ve backed off the writing and editing to relax those literary muscles before the next phase. Perhaps in July I’ll hunker down again and reacquaint myself with a more disciplined daily routine. 

​But it has been nice to look up from the task at hand and engage with the world beyond my computer screen. And I’m glad Mother Nature granted me one day to paddle around the lake and visit some of my amphibious neighbors. 

This turtle heedlessly worshipped the sun as I paddled by on Friday. Photo by Sallie Showalter.

​​If Sol does indeed manage to disarm Thor for a few days, I’ll wipe off the mildew and head back outside to pay homage to brighter days ahead.