CHOward Bound

If you (a) don't live in the DC area and/or (b) don't follow me on Twitter, you may not know that we've had an incredibly hot and humid summer here in the nation's capital.  (In fairness to everyone who lives everywhere else in the States, it was probably miserable where you are, too.)  But lo: yesterday afternoon we had a storm of biblical proportions.  The wind whipped up with such force that we moved away from the windows and the rain poured so that we could barely see outside - it wasn't really falling because the gales were just throwing it around - and thunder rumbled ominously as branches cracked sharply.  And then, an hour later, it was all over.  We were left with a leaf-littered lawn, streaming gutters, and no power.

But then when I woke up this morning, the house was humming with electricity and the sun was streaming through the windows and, when I went into the garden with Charlie, I found that the air was crisp and clear and it was cool enough that I shivered.  My phone is telling me that it's 63* outside, which means that today's run will be glorious.

Let's back up to last weekend, though, when Mom and I drove down to Charlottesville, VA with Charlie to see friends and family.  (I was supposed to participate in a 4 mile race on the Saturday morning, but it ended up not working, logistically, so I withdrew.)  We stayed at my aunt and uncle's house; my mother's cousin and her seven year old son were visiting, too, so it was a full house of six people and four dogs.  The drive down was gorgeous, and while most of Saturday was overcast and drizzly, we had a beautiful trip back up to DC.  Want to see?

The first five photos were taken with Instagram and use filters; the rest are unedited in any way.