Six years ago my little girl had the first major crush of her life. She was 8...he was 8. It was the cutest, most innocent puppy love ever. I remember her coming in from her first day of school just absolutely gushing over this dear boy. Of course at age 8...well, I'm sure he thought she had cooties. But she was persistent, I'll give her that. As luck would have it, the neighborhood we'd just moved into was HIS neighborhood as well. Fate seemed to throw them together year after year...much to my daughter's delight. Later, I was to find out that the school teachers thought that they were so adorable together that they'd purposely put them in the same elementary class year after year.

The two kids became buddies. Although I do believe my daughter spent more time staring at this young man all starry eyed while he was much more interested in playing Super Mario. They trick or treated together...she as his princess...and he laughing at her and pulling off her wig to tell her she looked stupid. Then there were the Valentines...hers..the perfect heart..the perfect signature...and his...a scribble on a simple Ninja Turtle. Christmases came and went...and birthdays too. All the while they remained friends. My daughter had saved every bit of paper, card, or gift that he'd ever given to her.

By the time middle school came around there was new excitement...new boys AND new girls. ...and a new school. My daughter was drawn in one direction, while her young man in yet another. They'd stayed in touch though. They had seen each other through some great times and some tough times. For years they laughed together, cried together..and argued together. But always, always...they found their way back to the innocent friendship they'd built years earlier.

My daughter didn't see her young man as her shining knight anymore. She'd come to realize that they were always going to be just buddies. He was her fellow cohort..he was one of her closest friends..just like a brother in fact. Yet he...well, as fate would have it one day at a middle school dance this fellow came to realize that my daughter was indeed his princess.

So as one child gave up on the other as she matured...the other only then started to notice. Sweet irony.

Still though, they had their friendship. If one needed the other..he or she was there. It was as if nothing would ever really change. It was almost taken for granted...time passed....they would catch up with each other every few months. And then he called one day to say that his family was moving.

My daughter felt an unexpected knot in her chest. He would always be there...he had always been there...they were always going to be a few blocks walk away...not hours. It was a sad realization. I watched these two grow from 3rd to 9th grade. I watched them go from little kids to awkward teens, and now that high school was beginning it was all going to end.

A few hours ago my daughter said goodbye to him.

It's not that long of a drive away...but it isn't a jog either. No more late pizzas, video games, summer evenings, walks, or bus rides together. At least they will have their beloved texting. But will their friendship grow apart? I saw their eyes full of tears, and I cried too. Sometimes I hate change. In a way I think they had always been each others safe person....or maybe each others box full of most cherished silly memories.

I hope they never lose their connection...its a good one...its one of happy, safe, fun memories that they will no doubt keep forever.

As they hugged and waved goodbye it wasn't such a small thing. It was pretty painful...not such a little thing at all.

Maybe it was my manic dancing, my howling, or just my general grumpiness that finally got Mother Nature to back off. It was a miracle..I swear I heard tinkling angelic music (or maybe my new wind chimes) Regardless, after my last post the sun came out...it stayed out...hell, I don't even know if ever went away last night. The Weather Underground radar?...magically clear. I tell you...my complaints have pull.

So now that I whined about boats and umbrellas yesterday is it bad of me to moan about the sun being...well TOO sunny? I know, I know...I should shut up and be thankful...but it was downright blistering hot and bright today (maybe my eyes haven't adjusted to proper light yet, I dunno) Anyway it was blinding. I could hardly see my happy pinwheels spinning or my flowers blooming. But what I did see...was a big old black snake.

I was pleasantly fanning myself (swatting the mosquitoes away) and enjoying a sprinkle on my toes from the hose (it was going full blast coz I lost the sprayer) and then I was discombobulated by the glaring sun and heat and I thought I was having a vision (or possibly the beginning of a wavy black migraine ) But no...it was certainly a snake. I jumped about 5 feet in the air and faced the bugger down. It was about 2 feet away, raising its slimy head...looking like a viper. This is where you might think I would exaggerate...but I am not when I say this thing was at least 5 feet long and more then 2 inches round. (Yea, I about pooped my pants indeed) Still though..I had a mad adrenaline surge. I aimed my blasting hose with my thumb pressed over part of the end so I could wield it like a water weapon. Right between the eyes. It jumped, I yelped...then I growled and it started to slither off. I was so full of primitive defense energy that I kept growling while I chased it all the way across the lawn with my super hose.

Now I have come in and thought about how idiotic I must have looked...or how stupid I was.

If the sun wasn't out this would not have happened.

My yard is a danger.

I have to take my child to gymnastics in a bit..I'm sneaking out the side door with a pitchfork (well, barbecue fork) and I'm making a run for the jeep.

Stupid snake...if only it would have been raining...

If I wanted this much rain I could have stayed put in the UK. It's downright unnatural, annoying, and depressing. Usually at this time of year we are just wishing for a thunderstorm...only to get one spit of 30 second rain and then back to blistering heat. Well, we do still have the heat...but where is all this precipitation coming from? So okay...its hurricane season...but we haven't had any. I looked at the radar satellite imagery yesterday and it looked like someone (mother nature?) was randomly firing red paint balls at every county. There were flash flood warnings, severe thunderstorms, hail, and high wind advisories everywhere I looked.

Our local weatherman was worn out..the poor guy has practically been living at the station because the national weather service keeps spitting out reams of weather watches he has to report to us every 15 minutes...thus interrupting every television program that we attempt to watch.

Our yard is soggy...my dog keeps sinking; Our trees are leaning oddly...my ceramic gnomes fell to an early death; my flowers are floating....I should have bought lily pads. As a matter of fact I'm thinking about building an ark out of my deck.

I have become obsessed with the Weather Underground website. It forecasts clouds and rain for us for the next 5 days. ( No matter how many times I keep refreshing it) Still, the satellite pictures have become a fascinating display of odd splotches and shapes...somewhat like a priceless work of art. (I wonder if I can sell them if I hit "print")

I usually look forward to sitting out on the screen porch, sipping lemonade, flipping through a magazine, watching the bunnies hop by. But no. I tried. The wind whips the rain across the lounger, splattering me with cold plops through the screen...my lemonade is flat....my magazine is waterlogged...even the bunnies have deserted me. I have had a front row seat for the local lightning display though....intense bolts zig zagging across the sky...flashes blinding me and then booms shaking me so deeply that it stirs my bowels into action.

I want the sun back. I wonder if I can figure out some ancient weather dance. I'd do it you know. Maybe I can make one up involving plastic palm leaves, a coconut bra, sand, and a kiddie pool? I'm desperate here...

See what's happening. Its like SAD (seasonal affective disorder)...my summer season is being disorderly alright. It's triggering a depressive response. How can I be that happy, smiling mother that welcomes the little ones home from school with a hug when I am faced with possibly wading up to the bus stop, or possibly canoeing....armed with plastic ponchos, life vests, and a stack of umbrellas? I won't be smiling. I will be drippy...and droopy. My make up will run and I will frighten everyone into thinking I'm Alice Cooper.

And what is with the radio? "Raindrops Keep Fallin on my Head"..."Ain't No Sunshine"..."Blame it on The Rain"..."Purple Rain"...and what now? Celine Dion crooning about the Titanic? Maybe I won't be starting up the boat after all.

I'm not even hungry.

I want my appetite back. I want the urge for a cool crisp salad and cold sweet watermelon on a hot sunny day. Right now...well, soup seems do-able. Agh.

Maybe Weather Underground has it's recent update..maybe the blobs of green, yellow, orange and red are gone....maybe the storm tracker has no storms to track...maybe.