Kim proposed a little more adventurous bike ride today by
heading over to the cemetery on the other side of the tracks. That meant crossing the I-10 overpass then
circling around on the frontage road and merging with the traffic taking Exit
211 off ramp. We kept Mom between us…she
was to follow me in our various traffic maneuvers and if that caused her
issues, Kim was behind her to help.
We rode just
over 10 miles. Back at camp, Mom said
the ride was fine, no problems. That just gives us permission to push the
envelope a little more tomorrow. 😉And Mom finally saw a roadrunner in person, as one came
darting across the road in front of us. Every year she’s come out here, seeing
a roadrunner has been her one goal. Mission accomplished!
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Went to Harkins movie theater this afternoon
to beat the heat. We saw The Pout-Pout Fish, which was
a good enough movie, but
the sound was loud. But it was not loud enough to prevent all three of us from dozing
at some point during the movie. We snoozed at separate times so maybe between
the three of us we could piece the story together. The fact that we each fell asleep shouldn’t be
taken as a comment on the movie but more on the fact that we were three tired
people. A late night, an early morning bike ride and a hot, hot day is the
trifecta for causing drowsiness.
I’ve been having
fun using AI to create pictures to show Mom what it can do. Adam showed me when
he was here and I’m just paying the fun forward. Anyway, I took a selfie (or an
‘ussie’ as the British say) of my mom and I today and asked AI to create
different images. I did the standard cartoon and superhero look, which were
good. But it outdid itself when I asked it to make us badass bikers. My hands
down favorite!! I’d be afraid
to meet us in a parking lot. 😲
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The pecan trees are
turning green. In our years of coming
out here, we’ve seen the branches get a green hue on them a time or two, but this
is more than a hint of green. Actual leaves have sprouted.
The tree
feathers on the mesquite tree in the yard have never been so plentiful or
green. Now it’s got 3-inch-long fuzzy things hanging from it. Another look we
haven’t seen before.
Grasshoppers, leaves, fuzzy things…it’s the heat.
Nature is responding to the early heat in ways that we’ve not seen because,
typically, we’re not here long enough to experience the heat and see the
changes it brings. Seeing a different side of the desert is the only good thing
I can say about the ‘heat dome’ we find ourselves in.
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The fuzzy things
on the mesquite tree are called ‘catkins’, which are long slim clusters of tiny flowers that grow on some trees. Mesquite catkins provide nectar for
honey and support a wide community of pollinators. The catkins are followed by sweet
pods which are food to rodents, rabbits, birds, coyotes, deer and people. Flour from mesquite seed pods were the
mainstay of southwestern diets for thousands of years and continues to be
blended into tortillas, breads, and soups to this day.
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I’ve
heard it said many times, “Sure, it’s hot but it’s a dry heat” or “Yeah, but
you don’t sweat in dry heat”. Wrong!!
Hot is hot and sweat happens! But a positive about sweating in the dry
heat/low humidity is that it doesn’t take long for it to dry and a negative is
that after it dries, your skin is left with a fine layer of salty crustiness.
It’s a toss-up dealing with high temps in
the dry heat or lower temps with humidity. Out here, no amount of lotion makes
my skin feel dry but that doesn’t stop me from putting it on. Even without
sweating, skin dries out and wrinkles abound. And the heat brings activity to a
halt. But at home, there are those few days in the summer when the humidity is
high and I can sweat just sitting on a chair, doing nothing. Not a fan of that,
either. The preference between dry heat and humidity gives people something to debate
besides politics and religion.
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Did a search about the low humidity in Arizona and came across an HVAC
company’s website. I know they’re specifically trying to sell a product, but
the information still jived with my experiences over the years.
While we tend to associate discomfort with high humidity,
extremely low humidity levels can be just as problematic. In fact, many Arizona
homeowners experience issues like dry skin, irritated sinuses, static
electricity, and even compromised HVAC efficiency—all because of a lack of
moisture in the air.
1. Dry Skin and Irritated Eyes: Arizona’s
desert air pulls moisture from anything it touches, including your skin. Many
homeowners notice their skin feeling itchy, flaky, or tight during the driest
months. The same goes for your eyes. Without enough ambient moisture, you may
experience irritation, redness, or that dry, gritty feeling.
2. Respiratory
Discomfort: Low humidity can also dry out the mucous membranes
in your nose and throat. This reduces your body’s natural defenses against
viruses and allergens, leading to symptoms like nosebleeds, sore throats,
coughing, and sinus pressure.
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Went for an
evening bike ride at about 6:45. The e-bikes have headlights and taillights, which
is a good thing because it was fully dark by the time we made it to Nutt Road. Got sidetracked by taking pictures of the
sunset and a diamondback rattlesnake that had obviously been run over but was still
managing to wiggle around. The air wasn’t hot and oppressive like it had been
an hour earlier when the sun was still up; it was just warm and oh, so silky
against the skin. No wind either. A good
time to take a ride.
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No imaging tonight…the
moon is sort of interfering.
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