How hot does your compost get? (pics)

[TomNJ]

This year I borrowed my neighbor's chipper/shredder and ran tons of leaves through it, pulverizing them to near powder. I then intimately mixed the shredded leaves by hand with an equal volume of fresh grass clippings and built the pile all at once, adding limestone, lawn fertilizer, and water every six inches. Finished pile is 4' x 4' x 3' (~50 cubic feet). I then stuck a digital meat thermometer in the center about 5" deep.

The temperature rose to 140F over four days, then began slowly cooling (133F after seven days). It is probably hotter in the center of the pile but I can't measure it that deep. When I pushed the thermometer another two inches deep it did go up a couple of degrees.

How hot does your pile get, and how do you measure it?

TomNJ