One of the best things about doing this challenge in June is that nearly every day, I’ve been able to work out on the porch. Moderate temperature, light breeze whispering through the trees, birdsong, and—since the porch is screened-in—the company of my cats dozing in the sunshine.

So much of the country is experiencing dramatic extremes in weather, from record heat in the southwest to floods washing away roads in Yellowstone, that I feel almost guiltily grateful for the ability to sit here and simply enjoy my surroundings. Certainly there’s nothing I’ve done to warrant this special favor. My parents chose to move to the East Coast when I was eight years old, and except for my college years in western New York—still pretty eastern by most standards—I’ve never left for more than a couple weeks at a time, nor have I felt any particular desire to. Practically everything worth having is within a few hours’ drive: woods, waterfalls, rolling hills, lakes, beaches; major cities, small towns, rural villages, and fields and pastures occupied by crops or livestock. Places to be with people, and places to be alone.

According to the weather forecast, thunderstorms are expected to roll through on Friday, which means I’ll likely need to write inside that day. Apart from that, I should be able to complete this challenge (albeit late) right here at my round plastic table, with my breakfast or lunch tray beside me as I make progress on my novel, with the music of the birds and the breeze and even the occasional power tools as my accompaniment. Pretty sweet, if you ask me.