I grew up in southern Louisiana. Summers there are quite a different than New England. I can remember taking short strolls to the mailbox, and returning sweaty. Sweating on a round trip to the mailbox just doesn’t seem right, does it? I used to get up at 6:00 in the morning to mow my grass. Yard work in 100º temps is not my cup of tea. I remember burning my leg on the seat belt buckle in my car a few times. I didn’t always enjoy summers in Louisiana. They weren’t all bad, of course. I don’t recall ever jumping in a pool and stimulating a vasovagal response. Every time I jump in a New England pool, I feel my life pass before my eyes. Pools here are cold all year round. So, there’s that. When I go swimming up north, I always miss Louisiana pools!

This time of year the common small talk chatter revolves around the weather. Well, I guess we always talk about the weather don’t we? I digress. In the summers, the topic can vary from “it’s too hot” to “I can’t wait for fall.” We’re usually pretty excited for the next season when we’re halfway in to the current season. Even in New England, it gets hot. Not Louisiana hot, but pretty hot. This summer seems a bit different. At the risk of jinxing an awesome situation, I’ll go ahead and say it. It’s been an excellent summer. The temperatures here in CT have been wonderful. Low to mid 60’s in the summer is unheard of this time of year. Right now, it’s 53º and we have a high of 80º today. I’ve never been a fan of hot weather, so I’m thankful for this nice little treat! I’m definitely not going swimming, though.

And one more thing. How about some love for all the photographers who contribute to https://unsplash.com/? That’s where I get all these beautiful pictures I attach to my articles everyday. These folks are sharing their craft with us at no cost. If you’ve ever purchased professional photography, you’ll realize how special Unsplash is. I’ve paid upwards of a couple hundred dollars for a single stock photo in the past. These guys don’t charge me a single penny.

I don’t know any of the photographers. Never met a single one of them. But, I am thankful for the way the help me create a backdrop for my daily posts. I can always find a picture on Unsplash that correlates well with my story of the day. I thank them daily and link to their work. Maybe my articles will introduce them to a paying customer at some point. Also, I’d like to thank the team of programmers of the website. The designers. The project managers. The leadership team. The marketing team. The investors, if there were any. Thank you for creating something remarkable!

And that’s your gratitude for today…