After neglect, comes a period of warming

The dog days of summer ran wild this year, leaving us to do the panting.

Even the nuanced, 24 traditional Chinese solar periods of the year couldn't do it justice. Xiao shu (little heat)? Who were they kidding? Da shu (big heat)? That didn't begin to describe it.

Day after day, it was relentlessly hot and sticky. But now, with the end in sight, we can catch our breath and take stock of what happened.