We picked up about 2 inches of rain this weekend, and in the aftermath of the storm we decided to go out with the dogs in search of fun things to see and do. While we had a great trip—lots of barking at wildlife for the dogs and the good company of Mrs. Cobb—it was also productive. As I slalomed down a dirt road that runs behind one of the local mortar ranges cruising puddles, I had to stop and get this skybox. The air was heavy with water, the heat oppressive...and I think the sky is worth it....

It's 90 degrees here in the heart of the north! Y'all can take that heat back down south where it belongs. However...since it's too hot to do yard work, I took the time for a skybox.

Lake Margarethe (about 5 miles west of Grayling if you care) is one of my favorite places to shoot. There's an abandoned lot right across the road from where M-72 passes along the shore. Today's shot is a cloudy mid-afternoon sky featuring the default ballpark. I truly want to know who bribed someone...

Amen to that.

Felt the urge to not just run my yap, so I made some time and dashed off another skybox. This one is taken near a roundabout (Gawd, I hate those things!) in Traverse City MI about an hour from my home. It's a nice mostly clear sky great for those Ernie Banks feel summertime doubleheaders. The featured ballpark is Davis-Monthan—unbranded. Apologies to the designer, but I replaced his ads with ones more to the feel of my home state.

Left the lens flare in so your immersion can be...

We put up our dog pen this week. G'Kar and Na'Toth will have a massive 30x40 pen for now, with 4 more panels to be added when I make a pilgrimage to Menard's for clamps. They love the new private dog park and we sat in our zero-g's and tossed a ball for them.

It's also transplanting time, actually a little past. I got my first harvest accidentally, knocking a young poblano pepper off a plant as I wandered by. Still have the jalapeños and habañeros to move. Our amaranth will go...