with 1.2" rain in the past few days and finally some cooler near normal temps, it suddenly feels near normal instead of the severely hot and dry conditions of the past summer. The wildfires are mostly out or at least much subdued although the USFS does not want to admit it. It seems unlikely that they will be much of a threat this time of year even if the weather turns dry and warm unless temps go back up to record high levels. The smoke is gone for now, and that makes a big difference in our attitudes. Turned off the garden irrigation for now. Tomatoes have been few and slow to ripen this year, even though it has been very hot. Too hot? A wild 1 am thunderstorm last night brought .45" of rain in 15 minutes. Streams still below normal, but water temps are cooler and most fishing restrictions have been lifted.