Succulents and More™

The summer solstice (this year on June 20) may mark the official beginning of summer, but around here, it starts much earlier. Realistically, our “warm season” lasts from mid-May to the end of September, give or take a week or two. Except for a few short-lived spikes into 100°F territory, it’s been a benign summer so far. But that’s about to change. In a massive way. In anticipation of a heat dome starting Monday, July 1, the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for Tuesday through Saturday, including Independence Day. According to the forecast, “[h]ighs of 105 to 115 will be possible through much of the valley and foothills during the week.” That may not seem newsworthy in, say, Las Vegas or Phoenix, but for the Sacramento Valley, extended periods over 100°F, let alone 105°F, isn’t all that common. Here’s the forecast for Davis: Whenever I feel a little depressed about the weather, I look to places that are even worse off. Like Death Valley: These temperatures ma