Hot!

The newspaper says yesterday set a record and today should be even warmer.  Heavy dew has left everything wet but there's a strong breeze.  Clouds are passing through from the Southwest.  Chickadees and sparrows came to breakfast.  Egrets are out on the creek. Bees are busy on the camellia flowers. 

The clouds thickened for a while but now the sun is back. Nothing but sparrows at lunchtime.  They went for some peanut bits.  A pelican just swooped past.  It is quite windy which may explain the lack of birds.

Toward evening dark heavy cumulus clouds promised rain. The wind calmed somewhat near the ground though the clouds didn't slow.  Some birds landed in the sweet gum, from which they would pop out into the air, then return.  I assume they were hunting insects that the warmth had brought out.  But there wasn't enough light to identify them.

The newspaper reports the high was 81 - a record for December, not just the 22d.