Following an active April we have a quiet and cooler pattern taking over for the next week. Frost and even freeze potential is looming later this week with lows in the 30s likely by Wednesday and Thursday. Certainly not record-breaking cold, but quite unusual! Above Wednesday morning lows in eastern Iowa and northern Illinois are projected to be in the upper 30s to low 40s. Thursday morning looks to be the coldest period in the short term with widespread lows in the mid/upper

For the better part of a month, I've been dealing with significant health issues due to a blood infection that has allowed vegetation to form on my aortic valve. This is known as aortic valve infective endocarditis, a life-threatening inflammation where bacteria or fungi attach to the valve, causing growths that can destroy the tissue. It requires immediate and vigorous treatment with intravenous antibiotics (and frequently ends with heart surgery to repair or replace the dam