It’s been hot. But I can’t complain

Here’s the NOAA saying July 2012 is the hottest month on record. I haven’t been keeping independent records during my odyssey through the West, but that sounds about right. From the day I left Florida on June 22, I’ve never stopped anyplace where people weren’t complaining about the heat. That continues right up through today, at my Mom’s place here in Sheridan, Mont. It’s pushing into the 90s today, which is pretty warm for a place about a mile above sea level.

In fact, the only place it hasn’t been a lot hotter than normal is Florida. I check the weather there every day and have been disappointed to learn that Jacksonville is usually cooler there than anyplace else I happen to be. Given that one big reason for this trip was to escape the oppressive heat of a Florida summer, I feel I have once again engineered a feat of exquisite bad timing. Watch: When I drive back there in a couple of weeks, things will suddenly return to normal — 105 degrees and 99 percent humidity in the Sunshine State, pleasant days and cool mornings that hint of autumn every place else.

Oh well. It’s been a wonderful summer, unusual heat notwithstanding. I have temporarily run out of Mystery Photos, which I will rectify soon. I have also temporarily run out of blog topics, which is why I’m talking about the weather. The contest continues, and so does the blog. But as you see I am again taking some time to regroup. And my sojourns up at the family cabin, beyond the reach of the internet, have tended to complicate the update schedule.

I know: Excuses, excuses. But I’m hoping any regular readers will stick around.