Blanched and pallid, cracked and withered, the landscape was slowly succumbing to the dry, repressive heat.  Lawns crackled and crunched underfoot as they lay dormant and drained.  Desiccated leaves scraped and scratched their way along the ground.  The soil resembled a great jigsaw puzzle as drought fissures became more…

The air had yet to be polluted and remained fairly clear and buoyant up until today.   Soon the crushing heft of humidity would contaminate the atmosphere, leaving us in a haze of scorching torridness and malaise, wilted and soulless.  I hate Summer. The sad thing is, it’s not even Summer yet.  We have exactly…