August was a very hot month with the most sustained heat I’ve ever experienced. Several weeks of 90°F+ days (many of them 100°F+), low humidity, and only one short thunderstorm in the past 7 weeks have lead to quite a drought, and our yard and garden are feeling the effects. I haven’t mowed the lawn since mid-July (since it isn’t growing) and most of our shrubs and small trees are drooping. Even the big trees are feeling it- below are the leaves from our big tulip poplar:

pre-cleanup and post-cleanup

Raking isn’t much fun to begin with, but raking in the summer is just plain wrong! We’re hoping for a break in this drought soon, but it will probably take something like a small tropical depression to make a dent at this point. Foo.