Now, this is more like it

At last, we have come to a forecasted stretch of the kind of May weather we advertise to friends and family. When our up-north folks begin talking about visiting our pastoral patch, we tell them to plan for a stay in April, May, October or November. Those are the glorious T-shirt-and-shorts months — sunny days, gentle breezes, tolerable insect populations, nights made for sleeping with open windows and light bedclothes.

So, this year we have a parent living with us during the spring, and what happens? Rain. Muddy paths. Windstorms. Trees down. Humidity off the charts. Unpredictable temperature swings. Uncomfortably strong wind many days. Clouds.

Over the long term, a one-month period of unexpected weather is barely noticeable on the charts. But our 21st-Century, I-want-it-now mindset magnifies everything out of proportion.

Now it appears we will experience some climatic normalcy for at least a week:

ARZ021-022-030-031-038-039-171200-
CONWAY-JOHNSON-LOGAN-PERRY-POPE-YELL-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF... BOONEVILLE... CENTER RIDGE... CLARKSVILLE... DANVILLE... DARDANELLE... FOURCHE JUNCTION... GRAVELLY... HECTOR... HOUSTON... MORRILTON... MOUNT MAGAZINE... OLA... OZONE... PARIS... PELSOR... PERRYVILLE... RUSSELLVILLE
1000 PM CDT WED MAY 16 2007

TONIGHT... MOSTLY CLEAR. COOLER. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. NORTH WINDS 5 MPH.
THURSDAY... SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S. NORTH WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
THURSDAY NIGHT... MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH IN THE EVENING... DECREASING TO 5 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
FRIDAY... SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 70S. EAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
FRIDAY NIGHT... MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 MPH.
SATURDAY... SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S.
SATURDAY NIGHT... PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOWER 50S.
SUNDAY... MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S.
SUNDAY NIGHT... PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 50S.
MONDAY... MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S.
MONDAY NIGHT... PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING... THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S.
TUESDAY... PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S.
TUESDAY NIGHT... MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING... THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S. THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 30 PERCENT.
WEDNESDAY... PARTLY SUNNY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S. THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

The neighbors were in the hayfields this afternoon, cutting and baling as fast as they could. The timothy and alfalfa is abundant. So are the grasses and weeds on our acreage. I will be on the mowers and the tractor much of the next three days.