july 10, 2008, finally summer

For the past few years, summer has started very early in southern Ohio, with high temperatures and months-long droughts. This year is finally different, with an overabundance of rain and cooler, dryer temperatures, more California-like.
Last Saturday, July 5, was the day that finally felt like summer, three weeks after it officially began. It was warm but not hot (mid-80s), with little humidity and few clouds. I went to the pool for a little while and it was incredibly pleasant. To me, summer doesn't really begin until I hear the cicadas (not the ugly mutant alien 17-year cicadas, just the regular ones that you hear but never see). And I've only heard them once since then. I hope the weather stays like this, but I would like to hear the cicadas more.
Oh, and to those of you who hate Daylight Saving Time, try living on standard time when you have both poor night vision and seasonal affective disorder. I'd love to live in a place that had 17 or 18 hours of daylight all the time, and the sun didn't set until after 9 p.m. every night!