It had been at least five years since I undertook any big projects without any labor help, so I was a little curious, for lack of a better word, how this 44-year-old body would respond.  Proud to say, I still got it!

The client liked the work so much, they even added a small front pathway replacement to the overall project scope.  And everything was wrapped up the Friday before Labor Day weekend, just in time for the client to have a bow-breaking party over the long Holiday weekend.

Happy client, busy summer, big project, able body.  Proud to say, it was a very good summer.  Now it’s back to classes and teaching as the school year has begun.  I still have a few small projects that I plan to squeeze in on a few days off here and there through the fall.  But mostly its school and classwork from here on out.  Definitely good to keep in touch with my roots though.

Time to get back to work.

So last week I highlighted how our perception of snow days changes over the course of the winter.  I really wasn't planning on turning this into a continuous series, nor am I planning on turning this blog into a weather blog.

Of course I really wasn't planning on spending half my week shoveling snow either, so that shows where plans will take you.  We're all about the flexibility over here.

The hits just keep on coming, and given the weather from the past week, I think we deserve to pick up where we left off.

February 9:  As last week's post was going online, rumors were circulating of the storm to end all storms.  20, 25, 30 inches depending on who you asked.  The Megaladon of all snowstorms.  A possibility of sharknados was imminent.  I think everybody's getting a little snow-punchy, as all these rumors were completely unsubstantiated.  But there was more snow.  1-3" was forecast.  We ended up with about 4".  Meh, who cares.  Kids go to school, we go to work the next day like nothing happened.

February 12-13:  As the previous storm moved out, we begin to look at another storm heading our way.  At first the little icon in the newspaper just shows ice cubes falling from a cloud, but as the storm gets closer we hear big rumors once again.  Whatever.  It's a Nor'easter, which really needs to be said with a strong New England accent to give it the full impact -- Nawh-EAST-ah.  The Nor'easters tend to be the big ones.  This one could have been huge, except for the fact that it turned to rain for a good portion of the day.  10" of snow, followed by sleet, ice, and rain.  Kids are stuck inside, and shoveling wet heavy slush in the rain really is no fun.  And then we learn yet another new weather term -- the wrap-around storm.  Sounds kind of kinky actually, but this means the back end of the storm gives us another 3" on top of the frozen slushy 10", on top of the leftover 4", on top of the leftover ... you get the idea.  Completely running out of places to put this stuff.  Oh yeah, and another 5-day weekend for the kids.

February 14:  First of all Happy Valentines Day.  Bad news and good news as far as the weather goes.  More snow to come this weekend -- just an inch or two though, and then ...  Dare I say it, 40, 50 degrees on the horizon!!  We'll take what we get.  I'm about done with this stuff.  Bring on the crocus sightings!

Here in the Delaware Valley, winters can be a bit unpredictable.  Several years ago we had two of the harshest winters I can remember, with a bevy of 20-inch-plus snowfalls and record-setting yearly accumulations.  For the past two years, we had barely any snow, with unusually mild temperatures.  Last year in fact we had a freak snowstorm in late March, and the 2" of wet slush surpassed the snowfall totals from the rest of the season.

Not this year.  This year has reverted back to the Hoth-like winters of '10 and '11.  We're still in early February and we've already surpassed 40" of snowfall for the year.  And you're kidding yourself if you think we're out of the woods yet.  February is usually our big snowfall month.

With a decent sampling of snowstorms to observe, I find it interesting how our perception of the white stuff changes over the course of the winter:

December 8:  The turkey leftovers are still in the fridge and the excitement of the Holiday season is building rapidly.  The forecast calls for 1" to 3", just enough to add even more excitement to the season.  The Eagles have a home game scheduled with playoff implications, and everybody is out and about doing Holiday shopping when the storm hits much harder than anticipated.  More than 8" falls in just over four hours -- Everybody is caught off guard, but everybody is loving it.  The Eagles win, and everybody enjoys the Holiday snow day.  Fun day, no doubt.

Jan 3:  The kids have been back in school just one day after Christmas break before they are awarded another snow day.  This time it's 9" and a bonus round of snowmen and sledding.  Everybody's a bit more prepared for this one, and nobody is really complaining about an extended vacation from work and school.  The sledding hills are packed, and I'm sure Hot Cocoa sales are through the roof too.

January 6 - January 26:  We all learn a new term -- "Polar Vortex".  It's basically a regular vortex, only polar.  In layman's terms this means it's cold.  REALLY cold.  All I can think of is the scene from Finding Nemo when Marlin wants to exit the East Australian Current and he defines his exit strategy as the "swirling vortex of terror".  That about sums it up -- terror.  We go through a five-day stretch where temperatures don't break 20.  Nobody enjoys this.

January 21:  Temperatures have been at ridiculously low extremes, so much that snow from nearly three weeks ago is pretty much still around when the next storm hits -- this time it's 14" of the lightest fluffiest powder you've ever seen.  Not great for snowmen or snowballs, but still fun for the kids.  At this point the adults are starting to have a slightly different view of the season, but there's not much we can do.

Jan 21 - January 31:  Temperatures continue to struggle getting above freezing, so all that snow is sticking around, getting dirtier and icier.  Young kids in dry clothes can't seem to stay off the dirty salty snowpiles, adding to the parents' frustration.  A series of 1" and 2" storms seem to replenish any snow that was lost due to solar melt-off.  What would have been a fun distraction in December is now a barely noticed inconvenience.  Firewood piles are diminishing.  The kids even seem to be getting tired of Hot Cocoa.  Ice scrapers are getting a regular work-out.  Everybody's car is coated in a white brushing of salt residue.  I'm hearing a fair amount of complaining from adults, hoping for a warmer drier weather pattern.  The newspaper count-down to spring training taunts us.

January 29:  An email announcement is sent out by the schools that they have used all the built-in snowdays for the year.  That means for any new day off, there will be an extra day tacked on at the end of the year.  When this information is shared with the kids, their impression of snowdays also changes somewhat.

February 2:  Groundhog Day.  That silly rat predicts 6 more weeks of winter.  Never liked rodents anyway.

February 3:  After a brief tease of 50-degree temperatures over the weekend, we are treated to 5" of heavy, wet snow, and another day off from school.  Great snowman snow.  Horrible to shovel.  The kids want to do something more exciting than sit around and watch movies, and its apparent that they are getting a bit bored with just being out in the snow for being out in the snow sake.  A few organized activities get the kids back on track, but at the expense of parental productivity.  Love having the kids home, but I've got a boatload of schoolwork that I was counting on knocking out while they're at school.  I think just about everybody is hoping for some degree of return to normalcy.

February 5:  The good news is that we seem to have escaped the polar vortex.  The bad news is that it means the next storm is a slushy, icy mix.  Horrible.  No fun to drive in, no fun to play in, no fun to live with.  The forecast calls for 1" to 3" of snow before switching over to sleet and freezing rain.  It ends up being no snow at all, -- just ice and freezing rain.  PECO reports more than 600,000 customers without electricity in the 6-county region of PA suburbs.  Or more than a third of the customers in the region.  The roads are awful -- a slick sheet of ice covers everything, tree limbs down, major slip-and-fall hazards.  Nobody enjoys this one in the least.  It's almost enough to wish that vortex would come back.

So what's to come?  Well that's anybody's guess.  The forecast for this coming weekend certainly looks ominous.  At this point there's only one thing for certain -- just about everybody is looking forward to spring.

And on that note I'll leave everybody with one parting note:  5 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.  The end can't be too far away, can it?

Winter is always a little slow here at Clark Kent Creations -- when you make your living off weather-sensitive outdoor work, there is by nature a seasonal lull come winter.  But this past week has been exceptionally slow for just about everybody on the East Coast.

Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- and while many people honor his legacy by volunteering with community service projects, it's still a day off as far as schools and banks and mail are concerned.  So as parents eagerly readied their kids to return to school on Tuesday, the weather forecasters began making some noise about a storm -- 1 to 3 expected inches quickly turned into 3 to 5, 5 to 9, and eventually 8 to 12 expected inches.

And although the snow hadn't started falling by Tuesday morning, the forecasts were too much for the schools to ignore.  Kids home -- office work shelved for at least a day.  Sure enough, by 10 am the snow was falling pretty heavily -- certainly enough to justify the schools' decision.

The snow fell all day, still coming down at a pretty good clip by the time I went to bed at 11.  At about 7pm the schools called it for Wednesday as well.  The end result -- here in Swarthmore we officially had 14 inches.  14 inches of light fluffy powder.  And two days off of school on the heels of a 3-day weekend -- officially a 5-day weekend, as my kids pointed out to me numerous times.

As the storm cleared the cold temperatures moved in as did the crystal blue skies.  I've written on this blog before about the benefits of living so close to the Swarthmore College Arboretum -- and with a family day off, it was time to see what the Arb had to offer for today.

Sleds in hand, we traversed the main trailhead towards the "Meadow" -- the large open area at the bottom of the valley.  The snow was still fresh enough that it clung to the trees and bushes, and with the cold temperatures at hand, the snow stayed in place on even the most well-travelled of trails. 

We passed a few cross country skiers and dog walkers on the way down, and while other sledders were present on the hills, there was enough space that everybody had their own area to perfect their craft.  Even a few of the local college kids claimed an area for some local snowboarding.

Looking at the 10-day forecast, the temperatures aren't scheduled to pass the freezing mark any time soon, so it looks like this winter wonderland will be around for at least a week or two.  In the mean time though, it probably couldn't hurt for the kids to return to school for at least a few days -- I do have some work that needs to get done around here.

No matter where you live in the United States, this past week provided an early glimpse of the winter weather that lay ahead this year.  Major snowstorms and sub-freezing temperatures have extended all the way across the country, including many areas in the deep south that just aren't used to it.

Here in the Philadelphia area, we got belted with an unexpected 8" of snow this past Sunday (which made for a real fun Eagles game to watch!), another 4" on Tuesday, followed by a blast of bitter Arctic air.  And more snow and "wintry mix" is in the forecast for this coming weekend.

I've posted on this site in the past about how to care for your hardscaping during the winter months, but many of our decking customers may be wondering what the best ways are to deal with ice and snow on your new deck.  Here's a few helpful hints.

First of all, don't worry about the weight of the snow on the deck.  It's not going to fall down.  Remember those building permits we had to file in advance of building the deck?  That was to ensure the structural specifications can handle the weight -- regardless of whether it's a cocktail party in the summer with 40 people, or 2' of snow falling on it in the winter.  In fact, snow is what's called a "dead load", meaning it's stationary and not adding extra force by jumping or moving around.  I know our decks will be just fine.  In fact any deck that went through the proper permitting procedure, regardless of whether we built it or somebody else built it, will be just fine.

Another concern I hear voiced often is whether or not the ice and snow will damage the deck.  Simple answer here: no.  Your deck was built with materials that are meant to hold up to the elements, regardless of whether it's heavy rain, freezing temperatures, or snowdrifts.  Composite materials, pressure-treated lumber, red cedar -- they're all meant to be exposed to the elements.  If they weren't, then we wouldn't be building decks with them. 

That being said, various materials will behave differently in reaction to ice and snow.  Vinyls or composites may shrink slightly in sub-freezing temperatures.  But no worries, as they will just as quickly expand back once the temperatures rebound.  Pressure-treated lumber is about as maintenance free as it gets.  Cedar or other non-treated lumbers should be sealed or treated regularly to help keep out the moisture.  But assuming you're keeping up with the routine maintenance, then a few big blizzards should be nothing to worry about.

As a deck owner, your biggest winter-time concern should be keeping any high traffic areas clear of ice and snow, and maintaining a safe, slip-free traffic path.  And there are a few things to keep in mind when doing this.

First of all, the best thing you can do with your deck is just leave it alone while the snow sits there, slowly melting and clearing itself.  The deck will still be there come March, no need to mess with it in the mean time.

But that's not always realistic.  Oftentimes the rear entrance leads right out to the deck, with a set of steps leading down to the driveway.  It's how you get in to the house when you park in the driveway, it's where you take out the trash, it's how the kids get in the house after a day of sledding in the backyard.  So shutting it down just isn't practical.

In these instances, shoveling the traffic areas is the best thing you can do.  When shoveling, it's best to use a softer, plastic or rubber-bladed shovel that won't scuff up the deck surface.  Metal shovels are great on asphalt driveways, but can really tear up a wood or composite deck in no time.  If it means spending an extra $15 on a designated "deck" shovel, so be it.  It'll eliminate big-time repair costs down the road.  Even a push-broom will work fine in these situations too.

It's also important to shovel "with the grain".  Run your shovel right down the length of the boards, not across the boards.  Running the shovel across the boards is just asking to catch or scuff up a board unnecessarily.  A gentle, long shovel stroke will clear the boards easily without risking getting the shovel caught or stuck on a board.

And even a well-shoveled area can still get slippery, especially when it comes to composites.  I will repeat my wintertime mantra here:  "Rock Salt Bad".  Just like in hardscaping, rock salt will eat away at the deck, drying out wood, staining composites, or even scraping up the surface. 

If slipperyness is a major concern, what you may want to consider, especially in high traffic paths on your deck or steps, is to install some rubber "grip strips" to help with your footing.  Even a single strip on each step tread will add considerable safety to any potentially slippery surface.  And while the strips aren't the most aesthetic add-on in the world, they do come in a few assorted colors to help conceal them, and just a few strips in key strategic locations can add loads of safety to icy surfaces.  It's something at least considering if slip-and-fall is a concern.

And if you don't have a deck, but are considering having one built down the road?  Give us a call for a free consultation.  We'll be happy to take a look -- once all this snow melts that is ...  Happy Winter!

I just love what they're doing with pumpkins these days.  When I was a kid, the standard Jack-o-Lantern design consisted of two triangles for eyes, an inverted triangle for the nose, and, depending on the level of creativity, either a buck-tooth-grin or Jaws-like fangs for the mouth.

Pretty much all the lines were linear -- usually cut with that old steak knife from the kitchen. 

At some point during the last 20 years or so, somebody realized that the geometric designs, as classic Peanuts as they may be, just weren't pushing the envelope of creativity.  Since that time, the levels of creativity have exploded.

I remember watching the old TV show Roseanne -- generally speaking I wasn't a big fan of the show, but their Halloween specials were rather fun.  That was the first time I remember seeing the intricately carved artistic masterpieces that are still showstoppers at pumpkin festivals.

Around that same time, the "etched" pumpkins were also becoming popular.  These aren't carved pumpkins per se, but rather lightly etched on the surface just enough to allow light through but not cut completely through the pumpkin walls.

From that point on, the levels of creativity just exploded.  Pumpkin stencils became available.  Painted pumpkins.  Pumpkins with props.  Pumpkins with costumes.  Upside down pumpkins.  Pumpkins eating other pumpkins.  Pumpkins with squash accessories.  Pumpkins with mum wigs and other plant accessories.

You get the idea.

Soooooo.  All of this pumpkin talk begs the question -- How are you decorating your pumpkins this year?

Happy Halloween from the whole scary Clark Kent Creations team!

If you’re thinking about a new patio, fencing project, or any other landscape construction project, there’s a lot of information to absorb and a lot of decisions that need to be made.  No doubt, it can all be a bit overwhelming as you begin the planning process.

One question that I get asked quite regularly during prospect phone calls and sales meetings is when the best time of year is to undertake a landscape construction project.

Are there advantages to doing it during certain times of year?  Are there times of year to avoid?  Does it matter at all?

Let’s start with the third part of those questions;  Yes, it does matter.  But how it matters really depends on your priorities, what’s important to you during the construction process, and when you want the project completed.

First, let’s take a quick look at the calendar.  Generally speaking, we’re working outside completing landscape construction projects beginning usually around the first of March, and typically ending about mid-December.  Those dates can be tweaked a bit depending on how the year’s weather is behaving, but those are pretty accurate average dates. 
 
No matter what, we won’t be out doing masonry or fence work during January or the first half of February.  Even the mildest of winters can turn nasty in a heartbeat, and the last thing anybody wants is a half-completed construction project sitting idly while a foot of snow melts, or the ground heaves, or it turns into a muddy mess.  Better off to wait until the winter threat has at least subsided.

So take away  the winter, and you’re left with nine, maybe ten months at the most to get your project completed.  Still a pretty broad range.

Rest assured, if we’re out doing a project it’s only because we’re confident enough in the weather, and are taking any seasonal precautions that need to be made.  So at this point the “when” of the project is entirely up to you.

But there are some things to consider:
 

• When do you want the project completed by?  If you want that new patio installed for your child’s graduation party, don’t call us on Memorial Day.  If there’s an end-goal in play, allow enough time for all the i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed, and the project to be completed in a thorough, detailed manner.
   
• Are there seasonal discounts?  We don’t offer seasonal discounts, but I have heard of some companies offering discounted prices to fill schedules during slower times of year.  It’s certainly worth asking anybody you’re soliciting bids from.
   
• Are there times of year when we’ll have to wait longer for availability?  Absolutely.  Once the really nice spring weather hits, a backlog queue of up to four months isn’t uncommon, although we certainly try to keep that time to a minimum.  Mid-to-late summer availability can often be pretty quick.  There’s  usually a bump in business around Labor Day, so fall availability can often be delayed but not as significantly as the spring.
   
• Can customers pick their construction dates?  To some extent, yes.  If you call us early enough and leave plenty of lead time, it certainly allows you some flexibility.  Keep in mind we are busy doing other projects while your project is in the queue, and there is always some  uncertainty in project length due to weather, unforeseen site conditions, etc.  Scheduling for “mid-August” is realistic.  Scheduling for “Aug 12th” is not.
   
• Do clients need to be home  during the construction process?  No, but it is advisable.  I’ve  had clients in the past want to schedule their projects for weeks when they’re away at the Shore or on vacation.  First, as mentioned above, picking the exact day we begin isn’t  always an option.  Secondly, there  are often day-to-day decisions that need to be made or approved during the construction process.  Sure, it’s  tempting to want to be “out of Dodge” while the yard is torn up and the driveway is full of equipment.  But as I always say, the most successful projects are the ones where there is open and frequent communication.  If  you’re available by phone, or are simply an hour’s drive away at the Shore we can probably make it work.  But if you’re going off the grid to some exotic locale, it’s probably best to wait until you return.
   
• Can I schedule a project for next spring?  Absolutely.  From a scheduling perspective, I always like to have one or two projects in the can ready to go once the winter weather breaks.  And a March start  date means you’ll be ready to enjoy and use the final product by the nice April weather.
   
• Entire process – sales cycle to final sweep.  How long will it take?  Wow, that’s a tough question, with a lot of factors to consider.  A lot depends on your level of responsiveness.  Are there multiple revisions and design changes? Are you first calling us in April or August?  Are we talking about a 600 square foot patio, or a simple front entry path?  There’s just too many factors to answer that question effectively, but hopefully the above points will help give you a sense of turn-around.

So, in summary, the best advice I can offer is to call us early, well in advance of the desired completion dates.  It will allow you to make sure you’re fully on board with any design layouts or material selections, allow you a bit of flexibility in scheduling projects, and allow us the necessary time to complete your project meticulously to the highest standards.

For additional questions or to begin the process for your upcoming project, give us a call.  We look forward to speaking with you!

Hard to believe, but it was just three months ago that I was writing a few random musings regarding Memorial Day as we approached the Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer. Unfortunately it’s now time for Labor Day, meaning the end of summer is here.

But just to give a little symmetry to the season, I figured it only fair to offer a few random musings regarding the other summer bookend…
 
*  The first recorded observation of Labor  Day was in New York City in 1882, organizied by a carpenter’s union secretary named Peter McGuire.
Labor Day was first recognized nationally in 1894, following a bloody labor strike when US forces opened fire on striking workers at the Pullman Railroad Co.  This bloody confrontation forced  President Grover Cleveland to appease the national labor force by signing a bill into law recognizing Labor Day as a Federal Holiday.

*  I’ve always found it a bit ironic that to celebrate the work ethic of American Labor, we celebrate by taking the day off.  Not complaining, just a bit ironic

.*  “Labor Day, when we briefly pause from  demonizing unions to enjoy mattress sales in their honor.” – Anonymous

*  There’s been a lot of talk over the past few years regarding the decline in American manufacturing.  But did you know that as of the 2010 census, manufacturing jobs still make up the highest percentage of jobs among US men, with 11.3 million manufacturing jobs.
 
*  10.3 million Americans are self-employed.  Just think, if it wasn’t for me I would’ve had to type 10,299,999

*  Want a longer summer?  Try New Zealand.  They don’t recognize Labor Day until the 4th Monday of September.  Of course it’s the southern hemisphere, so they’re actually just giving themselves a longer winter.

*  New York has the highest percentage of unionized workers at 25 percent.  The lowest?  North Carolina at 3 percent.

*  The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 is widely recognized as the cornerstone of modern  labor law, signed into law by labor-friendly president FDR.  The workforce gained even more strength and support shortly thereafter, when manufacturing jobs spiked due to WWII.

*  “If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.” -- Doug Larson, American newspaper columnist

*  To most Americans today, Labor Day symbolizes the unofficial end of summer, the start of the school year, and the start of football season.  Time to get back to business (of course for us landscaping types, that’s been going on all summer anyway).
 
*  My agenda for the weekend includes being incredibly lazy, hitting up the pool for the last few times, maybe a  fishing excursion with the kids, and living in denial that summer isn’t actually coming to a close.  And yes, I'm excited for football season, and my Wolverines taking the field, and postseason baseball, and warm cider on cool nights, and hayrides, and all the other fun parts of fall.  But for now, I'm milking summer for all its worth.

*  Whatever your plans, stay safe and enjoy the waning days of summer.

I’ve made it no secret in the past that summer is my favorite season.  But despite ALL the things tipping the scales in summer’s favor (and there are a lot!), it can be, quite frankly, somewhat trying to work in when that midsummer heatwave hits.

It seems like every summer, usually around mid-July, we’re hit with one or two real doozies of a heat wave.  And the projects we’re working on during those heatwaves are etched in my brain for eternity – the concrete job where we were constantly battling the streams of sweat dripping off our faces messing up our finish, the excavation job where we were covered in caked-on dirt that refused to let go of our sweat-covered arms and faces, the patio job where the surface temperature of the stones must have been well into the 130’s or 140’s.  Yup, name the year, and I’ll tell you where we were during the big heat wave.

Well this year’s heat wave has arrived, and we have embraced it once again.  High temperatures have averaged well into the upper 90’s, with humidity to match and nighttime lows only in the mid 80’s.  No doubt, it’s hot.

And it’s not just the air temperature that gets hot.  Ever try picking up a black steel pry bar after sitting in the hot sun for an hour or two?  Let’s just say I don’t recommend it.  I wear heavy rubber gloves when I’m using the bricksaw, and I swear they were just as wet on the inside from sweat the other day as on the outside.  And I made the mistake of leaving them on the hood of my black truck for a few minutes while I took a phone call.  Somehow or other the gloves didn’t melt, but I put them back on and nearly scalded my hands as the moisture on the inside of the gloves must have been approaching boiling.  Ouch.

But that doesn’t stop us from carrying on.  I’ve had a few clients comment to me that they can’t believe we’re working in this heat. My reply is that if we waited for the perfect day to work, we’d probably only be working 5 to 6 months a year. And that ain’t gonna swing it as far as maintaining a sustainable business.  So we carry on.

Truth be told, I really don’t mind the extreme heat.  Is it ideal? – Well of course not, but it sure beats those late fall jobs or early spring jobs when we have to thaw out the hose in the morning and we can’t move or feel our fingers throughout the day.  I’ll take the heat over the cold any day.

The trick is just to accept and embrace it.  When your shirt is saturated with sweat by 10 am you really don’t have much choice.  As long as you’re drinking your water and listening to your body, you’ll be fine.  Sweaty, but fine.

I went to the bank at lunch the other day, drenched in sweat from head to toe, with a nice layer of dirt and sand and mortar sticking to me like I was some sort of magnet.  A cute young girl went to get in line behind me, and it was quite apparent that she didn’t want to get anywhere near my sweaty self. That’s right I work, got a problem?

Thankfully my wife is much more understanding.

So where were we during this year’s big heat?  Not that it’s ended yet, or that it won’t return in a few weeks, but so far we’ve endured this year’s heat while doing a paver stone patio project.  The project turned out great, and a big thanks to our clients Bill and Rose who continuously offered us ice water and cold juice throughout the day.  Good clients and nice people are just the best.  Period.  Thanks guys!

So according to the forecast, the heat is supposed to break on Saturday when a line of storms passes through.  I can’t say I’ll be sad to see the heatwave go, but a part of me really kind of embraces and, dare I say it, enjoys the extremes.  Enjoy it while its here.  Or at least make the best of it.  It never lasts too long, and it certainly gives us something to talk about (or blog about) in the mean time.

To quote Ferb from one of my kids’ favorite shows Phineas and Ferb, “Summer – it’s noticeably warmer”.  Indeed it is Ferb, indeed it is.