Although we’re now in a drying trend, conditions are mildly wet, thanks to a wet week, cooler temperatures, and high humidities. Surface soils are still moist and the lawns are a deep green. The woods still have some swamps where swamps rarely exist, low crop fields retain some standing water, and Hess Lake still retains an unusually high water level. The gauge catch caught 1.19 inches of rain this week, most of which occurred in three events. The most dramatic was Tuesday evening when an unscheduled but brief severe thunderstorm rolled through bringing high winds, 0.40 inches of rain, and half-inch hail. There was tornado activity and power outages in the region. In between rain event normal summer outdoor activities are occurring in both recreation and agriculture.