when it rains...

...it rains really, really hard.

i mean that literally, by the way. no metaphors here.

grasping, i guess. seriously, though, it is about as hot as the devil's bowels here in central virginia. the humidity! my god! i was told that the climate here is typically more temperate than that of minneapolis, but this feels worse than the heat waves in southern turkey, hotter than vietnam in may. oy.

and the rain, like i said. she doth pour. mostly in the morning and at night, big heaping torrents of water, smashing down with more volume and force than i thought possible outside of junger tales and hurricane paths.

does it sound like i'm complaining? i don't think i am. well, technically, yes, but it's more simple observation. awe. i am awe-struck by this wild weather.

today i slept till some ungodly hour, took a teensy post-rain whambam humidity walk around the proverbial block (ie: down a dirt road). took a few photos, but my camera lens got too fogged up to continue. lounged around. finished alice mcdermott's charming billy; started eucalyptus, by murray bail. good summer reading. billy was dense and surprisingly slow-going, but also lovely, and admirably simple in its evocation of complexity. much better than the amazon reviews would have you believe.

also: i'm adding marfa to the to-go list. i likes me some donald judd.