Glorious August

Before we all enter into the Labor Day Weekend and emerge on Tuesday in work mode forgetting that August ever existed, I would like to take a moment to salute the 2008 specimen of this typically sweltering month, one I usually detest.

In case no one has noticed, August 2008 has been the most glorious in recent memory. Day after day of utterly pleasant weather—the frequent San Francisco-like insta-storms, notwithstanding. (One's about to strike in the photo above.) The sun shines, it does not beat or pelt or pummel. Gentle breezes blow, leading you into delusions that it may already be late September. Nights are coolish; air-conditioners have rarely been truly necessary.

Consulting Weather.com, I discovered, and was not surprised, that the daily high has not broken 90 degrees one single day during the month of August. Yes, you read that right. I didn't say it hadn't broken 100; I said it hadn't broken 90. The monthly record was back on Aug. 1: 89. Since there, the temperature's hovered between 77 and 84. The next few days don't look to break that trend.

I hope the blissful conditions continue and give up a proper September for once. If not, I'll hold on to the memory of this August and pretend it was my early autumn.