WASHINGTON — The dog days of summer are here. I think they’re a little early, but they’re here nonetheless. It’s hot. Not just hot, but really, really hot. You’d think those thunderstorms every night would do more than just knock branches down. You’d think they would cool things off. Not.

One of the big problems with the weather we’ve had this past week is that it encourages grass and weeds to grow, grow, grow. If it was just hot without the storms, grass would be on sabbatical. But no, we have to have rain with the heat, meaning grass is growing and somebody has to cut it. Somebody has to trim the weeds and cut back the errant branches and knock down the poison ivy.

Unfortunately, at the Morrison house that somebody is me. I don’t mind the mowing grass. I enjoy firing up the riding lawnmower and spending an hour singing at the top of my lungs out in public when no one can hear because the John Deere is so darn loud. But as for the rest of the yard work — the weeding, trimming and knocking down — well, let’s just say it is better left to more capable hands.

Also unfortunately, the son who’s taken care of that the past few summers has moved to Denver and the daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren have been too busy this summer to put in an appearance. With football conditioning, summer school and dance classes for the grandkids and master’s classes for one of the daughters, it’s been a quiet summer in the house.

While not noisy, there has been a riot in the yard. Weeds have taken over, bushes haven’t been trimmed, a climbing rose bush is having its way with the siding and unwanted trees are sprouting up here, there and everywhere. The children keep saying they’ll be down to take care of things but have yet to put in an appearance.

Earlier this summer, the Hatchet football team hired out for a day of work around the house, and it was the best $40 I’ve spent all year. They sent over two sturdy young men (and two moms) to do some things I just can’t. They cleaned out the gutters, swept all the branches, leaves and pine needles off the roof, raked up left over leaves and pine needles from last fall, cleaned off the deck. They hauled downed branches to the front of the property for pickup and really left the place looking good.

All I can say is “Come Back!” The kids were great, as the morning was very warm and humid and they didn’t complain about it at all. They set to work, and once we’d secured a bigger ladder, put in two hours of hard labor. I don’t know if it will make them better football players, but if they are an example of the kind of young men the team is helping to build, I say “Good job.”

My grandson is on the Concordia team in Fort Wayne and after extolling the virtues of the Hatchet workers to my daughter, she’s going to suggest the Cadets also take this selling of services as a fundraiser.

For those of us living with just our dogs and cats, it was a real help and something that will be long appreciated.

Thanks again.

n Patricia Morrison is a widow of more than nine years, and still can’t seem to get things done around the house that her husband Ron used to do. She needs all the help she can get.