Return of the Polar Vortex

The polar vortex has been unleashed onto the Midwest once again, in July! I have been swimming through it. It was 51 degrees this morning, the steam rising from the surface of the pool, its water 30+ degrees warmer! And suddenly one of the lifeguards began to play the French horn. I love my life. Every day is a Random Coinciday!

Wikipedia tells us the French horn is not really French. Here is a (perhaps) Viennese horn. In my youth, I passed up a chance to pick up the French horn. Playing the piano for pleasure and to sing by was enough for me. Today I sing the praises of The Unleashable Dog, by Charles Rafferty, a book of funny, beautiful, and accessible yet startling poems. You can read the review here at Escape Into Life, where we are celebrating the Dog Days of July in spite of the return of the Polar Vortex.

And here is a natural horn. Is that like a horn au naturel? It comes down to us from the hunting horn, so probably dogs are OK with it. Sometimes I like to blow my own horn. Don't we all? It's only natural, right?