I grew up in Buffalo, lived in Florida, was stationed in Mississippi and Charleston and deployed to the middle east. I'll take the desert over snow or humidity ANY day. Well.........our desert.

 

The desert in the spring is pretty awesome. Never visited in July or August though. Even in the wintertime, if you can find a cove with a south facing exposure it's pretty nice. That sun is brutal though even in the spring, the difference between the shade and sunlight is pretty stark. I notice the locals seem to drive light colored cars and trucks. Black isn't considered an option there?

 

My Dad lived in Tuscon and used to say it's a "dry heat". My response? "Dad, I cook my turkey in dry heat every Thanksgiving, it's called an OVEN!"

 

It's been around 100 all week here, maybe I'll head out to Palm Springs this weekend to take the chill off :-)

 

It's been over 100 degrees here (northern CA) all week (103 -108). Forecast for today is 110 degrees. Don't know how you all in Arizona deal with the temps that are even higher.

All I know is that I have a portable A/C unit for the garage that helps keep the temp around high 80s in the AM and mid 90s in the afternoon.

Even though I have the A/C unit, I am only good until about 2:30 - 3PM, then I shut it all down and go in for the rest of the day.

The A/C cost about $300 and uses too much electricity, but it is worth every penny.

 

One word " SIESTA " .

 

We can get used to it just like you can get used to the cold. Plus preparation to deal with the cold or hot.

I worked as a field service tech for a Caterpillar dealer for many years. Usually at the mines. I wore jeans and a t shirt under white cotton coveralls, leather steel toe/metatarsal boots and a hardhat. Then climbed all over, under and in the machinery that is hot as hell. Throw on leather for welding and it's even worse.

Acclimation and preparation with lots of water, umbrellas for shade, fans and whatever else you can think of.

Tools will burn you enough to cause a blister, spray cans often blew up if left in the back of our trucks in direct sun.

It's just the opposite of the people in cold climates. Ya just gotta deal with it or move.

Tedster, black is an option but, you don't see it very often compared to back east.

 

Hold on guys we have a rat that needs outing.

Need we remind you how helpless you'll be in December when we're outside having BBQ's and enjoying our trucks.

 

You mean our Christmas and New Year's BBQ's? With our patio doors wide open?

I guess those Yooper's get to rub it in ONCE in a while too. It's only fair.

 

We BBQ in December outside . . . or we go to Florida . . . or we go snowmobiling up in the UP where it is really cold.

 

Were Acclimated.. I own a fruit Tree Nursery so I'm outside dawn to dark most days.. in Summers we start at 4am and stop near noon,, then go back at it around 7pm to 9 or 10.. just on the hot days though.. we hit 120 yesterday at 5% humidity.. Water to drink?.. nope,, we drink Pedialyte

 

Gatorade used to have lots of stuff in it, not anymore, but in any case got waaaaay too expensive to drink in any kind of volume as is necessary when performing heavy work in the heat (unless ya play for the NFL.) I used to mix up up a homebrew version using Morton's LiteSalt (potassium) and table salt and sugar and flavorings and came out to be dirt cheap and works real good. Even the commercial sports drinks can be improved with a 1/4 t of LiteSalt per quart. My ancestors as OEM must have came from pretty damn far north cuz I don't handle the heat too well.

 

I feel for all of you that live in extreme weather conditions, and think of you often when you have it bad . Its been hot (to me) here lately 108 tops but it's not the norm so I cant complain . I did wait till evening to attempt some paint on my hood but after picking up a can of prep and found it still very hot to the touch, I quickly realized that nothing good would come out of continuing on with paint. Sometimes I think of how people lived a hundred years ago, and many people still do today. Things like modern cooling or heating, electricity, bug spray, antibiotics, plumbing or potable water, and all the stuff we take for granted today, wow. No super markets, if you need a shirt, you had to spin some thread and start from there, if you don't count getting sheep, and building the spinning wheel, and paddles. There is a TV show called "The Woodwrights Shop" on PBS which I enjoy, as things are made with only the tools that were available B4 power tools. OK I have no Idea of where I'm going with this so Ill just kick back and enjoy the thread. As for me, well I'm in Paradise, Paradise California that is, where at least my truck is cool. Stay cool everybody, or your best to stay as cool as you can.

 

Yes, it is pretty warm so I think I will cool off.

 

Then you can get in the pool .