everyone’s thirsty

we’ve had an very dry summer here in the twin cities. in minnesota, no rain means fewer bugs. fewer bugs and no rain means long leisurely evenings on the deck without getting chased indoors. this all sounds welcome. and part of it is. we’ve used our deck every night this summer. but, a bigger part of it is not so welcome. we’ve had so little rain that i am seeing leaves curl up and dry out, before they’ve had a chance to change color or even fall to the ground. i struggle sometimes with how to balance my love of nature’s expressions with my sense of mourning that nature used to be a constant, and we have turned it into a variable.