The past five days have found me covered in dirt, dust and sweat. I've also managed to tire muscles I didn't even know existed, and to acquire numerous bruises, and of course those two minor burns (those were due to garden-variety clumsiness, however, and not any special occurrence in my life).

It's been a great long weekend.

No, seriously. This is quintessential summer, to me. Toiling away at some foolish project while it's in the upper 90s, feeling sweaty and tired and very alive. Coming inside to drink some cold water from a glass covered in condensation, and eating some insanely fresh cherries, raspberries or blueberries.

Today, despite the oppressive heat, I drove around in my car with the windows down, just to soak up as much summer as I could. When I got back in my car this afternoon to come home, a spectacular thunderstorm was in the midst of pushing the heat away. The thunder rumbled loud and often, and the rain poured off our roof in buckets. This evening is the first bit of laziness I will indulge in during this five-day weekend, and then it's back to eight hours a day in the office. Sigh.