Amazing, took no time at all for summer's last-gasp heat wave to be overtaken by early fall. All week we've been languishing in overheated humidity. Deep humidity, under mostly overcast skies, but rain held off. When the sun did succeed in banishing the clouds its heat was powerful, pouring down on humidity-exhausted mortals below.

Fortunately we had the escape function of the forest to lavish shade and the occasional whisper of cooling breezes on us through our usual daily forays along the forest trails in the ravine. Where fungi are slowly beginning to evidence themselves on the vegetation-clearing forest floor as they tend to do in spring and fall, and berries of all kinds have surpassed their ripeness stage, now beginning to shrivel and dry up.

Jillie

But no hike through the forest today for any of us, a rare occasion when weather calls the shots and we react. From early morning throughout the day rain came pelting down. The forecast advised that the rain would be heavy at times in an on-and-off pattern for the day. That was the forecast. The weather decided it had the final say and decided to cancel the 'off' portion of 'on-and-off'.

We had planned in our innocence to get out earlier than usual for our daily forest hike, but that's a plan that was soon scuppered, the expectation drenched in ongoing rain. We'd meant to take Jackie and Jillie out before their afternoon groomer's appointment. Instead, we engaged ourselves in plenty of indoor things, mostly in preparation for an upcoming trip.

Jackie

Well, there were other things; J&J's bedding to be washed along with their towels. And given the transition to cooler weather and certainly wetter weather, we moved our summer clothing to make room for fall and winter clothing. I pre-prepared dinner by making  up cheese blintzes to have with a side dish of green beans, and blueberries for dessert, and just refrigerated the blintzes, the final frying to be finished off at dinner time.

While the puppies were at the groomers we did some grocery shopping, not the usual full shopping since we'll be away, but mostly fresh fruit and vegetables to carry us over for part of the week. An hour and a half after delivering our two sprites to the groomers we picked them up, their barking greeting us as they watched through a window as we toddled up the walkway to the spa.

The rain failed to repent its intrusion into our day and just kept coming down. So what do you do on a persistently rainy day? On impulse I'd bought nail polish, something I haven't used in decades. I thought I'd do a little primping. So after putting all the groceries away, preparing little vegetable salads for an avid J&J, I painted my fingernails. 

It's interesting how quickly my nails grow, despite all the housework (washing dishes, and floors and doing laundry) and gardening work the season offers. But come winter that changes. The rate of growth is slowed, and the quality of the nail formulation is affected, even though we take vitamin D supplements daily.

Here's hoping the nature will tone down the rate and level of rain tomorrow. We won't count on it, though. Looking online at the ten-day forecast for Waterville, N.H., it's clear that the weather we're having and the weather there won't be all that different. Cooler days, heavily overcast, but mostly light rain.