Dear Mother Nature,

On behalf of my parched, brown lawn, I want to thank you for the brief rain shower this evening. I was picking up dog poop earlier today and couldn't believe the way the once-green grass crunched under my feet.

I also was stunned at how many leaves my trees have dumped in the past few days. I don't know if that's a function of dry weather or the calender flipping toward late September, but I have a feeling the events are related.

I love fall. But, I'm not ready to get rid of summer yet.

If you could see it in your heart to let us have another couple weeks of warm weather -- and mix in a gentle inch of rain every now and then -- I'd be much obliged.

Thanks,

Drew