Some months are so full that a daily log could fill the pages of a manuscript and July 2023 was such a month. Thunderstorms, hail and rain have finally given way to the dry heat and southwesterly winds that are more typical of this time of year. Unfortunately, not before compromising some of the grain harvests of the Great Plains.

The wonky weather has also affected my home garden. One of the two-inch pieces of hail took out an entire potato plant and knocked off some green tomatoes. And many blossoms. The cold rains of the first three weeks of the month gave great moisture to the ground and we are no longer in a drought. However, crops are taking their time ripening.

So far only the patio tomatoes have turned red. A handful of beets and cucumbers have been harvested and just one eggplant has been picked. But plenty of blossoms signal a productive month ahead even if the drip systems need to run.

Furthermore, the herbs are the most prolific I have ever seen. I could participate in a Farmer’s Market if I had a license to sell herbs. The dill has benefited from both robins and humans picking off the caterpillars of the swallowtail butterflies. In turn, chickens enjoyed both the insects and the small pieces of dill mixed in with other grasses as a supplement to their regular diet.

Parsley, sage and horehound are all thriving. And a new book added to the library contains great recipes for these and other herbs in the garden. Look for the Homegrown Herbs book review coming in August.

July 2023 was a great month for reading as the heavy rains of the first part of the month and the triple-digit heat of the last few days kept me inside. In addition to five books reviewed on Econogal, three more are already slated for posting. These include books from the Cañon City trip.

I continue to look for new authors or new-to-me writers as I visit the library and make the occasional trip to a bookstore. It is so hard to get a foothold in the industry that I want to review as many new individuals as I can.

The Fourth of July is a favorite holiday and we travelled to see family. Good food accompanied the pleasant daytime weather. But a major thunderstorm rained out the fireworks. Other trips included visits to Colorado mountain towns of Cañon City and Vail. Both quick overnight stays tied to business. But the mountain scenery fills me with peace.

A weekend trip to celebrate the youngest family member turning one also involved an evening thunderstorm-certainly a recurring theme for July 2023. But the afternoon of the party was sun-filled. Perfect for little ones to play in the water.

Little evidence of a recession still holds true from my observations. Prices are still high so I wasn’t surprised by the additional rate hike from the Federal Reserve. Yet, employment and growth are evident in my little town. New businesses continue to open and/or are under construction. The job opportunities are mostly retail and construction. The hailstorms will ensure work for roofers through the fall.

The housing market remains tight in our part of the world-if the price tag reflects the market. It is hard to tell if a new equilibrium has been established, but sellers no longer have buyers over a barrel. And so far, fire sales and foreclosures are not the norm. A healthy market is welcomed.

The politics of Washington, D.C., Moscow and Beijing seem to be taking a back seat to the weather. Heavy rains, triple-digit temperatures and other climate events are upstaging the pontification and power posturing of some world leaders. The calving of ice at the two poles and the rising ocean temperatures are most concerning. I will continue to read both non-fiction such as The Great Displacement and fiction such as the similarly titled The Displacements to broaden my knowledge. There is much to be learned.