Fridays Are Golden

Like the rest of the middle and eastern US, we are still in the midst of a hot weather dome that seems not to move.  Record-breaking high temperatures and fierce storms continue.  Many are still without power and there does not seem to be any respite in the near future.

We are so much luckier than many others.  We have not lost power and are able to keep our house comfortable.  The temperatures drop a bit at night here in the mountains so early mornings can be quite pleasant before the sun heats up the air.

So the Golden Girls get some romping in very early and then become slugs the remainder of the day.  I've always found it interesting that the two of them are almost always together.  In this warm weather they are not often in their beds, preferring the cool hardwood or tile to the softness of the warmer beds.

End-to-end they lie beneath the window.

In the middle of the floor, barely touching.

Lucy snuggles just a little bit as they lie near a chair.

End-to-end once again.

I have no idea why the two of them are so often lying together.  There is ample floor space but they each seem to prefer the proximity of the other.

The dangers are not over across our country.  The wildfires are being contained but still cause major challenges.  Last night a string of severe thunderstorms shattered across the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  At least two people are known dead.  The storms hit the most popular (and beautiful) Cades Cove area and the extent of the damage is unknown.

About 56% of our nation is in a drought situation causing fear for more wildfires in the future.  Farmers across the nation are looking at parched fields.  The crop yields will be dramatically reduced.

It was hot enough in Chicago to buckle roadways and traffic is being rerouted in many places.  More than 200,000 are without power in West Virginia, 70,000 without power in Virginia, and 45,000 without power in Maryland.

So as we approach this weekend, our hearts are with the suffering not only here but around the planet we share.  And our hearts are filled with fear for the future.

Our quote today comes from the late Barbara Jordan who prophetically said,

"This is the great danger America faces.  That we will cease to be one nation and become instead a collection of interest groups:  city against suburb, region against region, individual against individual.  Each seeking to satisfy private wants.  A spirit of harmony can only survive if each of us remembers, when bitterness and self-interest seem to prevail, that we share a common destiny."

I hope we can all come together in the midst of the bitterness and self-interest that does indeed prevail right now.  Let's help one another so everyone can share in the richness of this wonderful country.

HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!  AND DO SOMETHING TO HELP YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS NOW.