SCORCHY SUMMER!

[sassenach]

It only got a little stuffy this late afternoon , well , yesterday, the 4th, not bad. Might be a lot hotter tomorrow. If it doesnt rain, might go down to the park in late afternoon for a while. That is when it gets hot inside... tomorrow. mebbe? I know I looked at the forecast but I dont recall it exactly.

It really has not been too bad but hardly any rain yesterday. Im tired of clouds with no real rain. We really need the rain here.

[Jeepers]

It's still in the high 70's here. It is supposed to rain here tonight. Right now it's bright and sunny so if it does rain, it will be late. Hope it does because we can use it.

[Jeepers]

We got a really nice soaking rain here this evening, It looks like the grass has already greened up some. Temp tonight is 69 lovely degrees.

[The WE2's]

We've had some lovely rains for about 3 weeks and love them all. Glad we've got raised beds and the other's are uphill from them so doesn't seem to be flooding anything out. The barrels are certainly staying full even though we don't need to use them :-) Still hot and humid though :-(

[Jeepers]

It's still pretty mild here. The high was 81 degrees. Yesterdays shower really 'greened' up the lawns.

[Mt_Rider]

Got kinda hot today but not bad. Need rain again tho....

 

MtRider

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah,..... now CO REALLLLLLLLY needs rain!!!!

 

We've got small and LARGE wildfires popping up all over the place! It's only been a week since that last good rains. But we're parched and crispy already! That beetle that killed so many types of our trees in the past decades has left a big portion of dead standing trees in every forest area. One of the state's current problems. Not a bad idea to let 'em burn in those affected wilderness areas ....but trying to CONTROL any burn is pretty difficult.

 

Anyway, I'm extremely thankful that there is no burning directly in our area. However the smoke drifts in from far away. Last summer we got a horrible choking haze of soot/ash from the Washington state fires. Our own "homegrown" CO fires are a lot closer than that, of course. We got a lot yesterday from some far-flung portion of the state.

 

Don't know how anyone can be out in that. Animals included. I hid in the house. Even had to shut off the swamp cooler; smoke was getting past the watered filters. So far today, we're clear. Mebbe the wind will blow a different direction? I'm so clogged that I'm coughing my head off today. Yuk.

 

Pray for the evacuees in wildfires everywhere.... I know how they feel.

 

MtRider ....need rain. Do. Not. Like. Wildfire. Just seeing the pics makes me feel like......

[Annarchy]

110+ again.

[The WE2's]

Hot and thunderstorms/rain most of day.

[carr]

So. Hot. Y'all stay safe.

[The WE2's]

Beautiful day. Headed straight for the garden when MrWE2 got home. Picked some cucumbers, some Roma's, some beans, clipped some turnip greens, clipped some kale and a few more blackberries and raspberries.

[sassenach]

have finally had rain some the last two days good rain part of today , this afternoon, bit muggy, thunder storms.... we need rain here. it was nice.

[Mt_Rider]

The rain missed us again...just a few miles..... Mebbe tomorrow.

 

MtRider

[sassenach]

a little rain and today.. better than sprinkles.

[Mt_Rider]

 

RAIN

 

 

Thunder/Lightning cracking toooooooo

 

MtRider ....but SO thankful for rain!

[dogmom4]

82...not too bad for July.

[Jeepers]

It was in the low 80's here today. But it feels really humid outside. Not much rain in the forecast and it's getting dry. It's supposed to get to the 90's Thur, Fri and Sat.

[Annarchy]

Still averaging 110 a day and humid. No rain here. Got 3 minutes of sprinkles, barely. Just enough to spot everything up from the dust storm that blew through.

[Mt_Rider]

Rain was SO appreciated yesterday. Today the rain blobs kept missing us.

 

Altho it didn't get that hot, I had a medium-level HEAT MELTDOWN this morning! Property managers were here to do 4 projects on the house. I was down stairs showing them where to find outlets and such. Went to go back upstairs and only made it to the 4th step. DIZZY.... Then the WEAKNESS in muscles hit and I knew it had to be heat...tho I didn't feel hot. 10:30 am....likely less than 65 degrees. Core temperature was cooking tho.

 

Since my Midwest trip, my baseline body temp is a couple degrees too high now....all the time. No longer 98.6. That usually doesn't happen til around late August. I got a lot of summer to get thru before colder weather will stabilize that back to normal again. Until that happens..... {I'm fragile} and not too good at remembering that.

 

B [remember the guy who got brained in the head with my ceiling fan?] had already had 'heat stroke' in his earlier years and now is about as bad with heat as someone like me with MS. So his wife was right with me till they could holler DH up the hill to help. DH was down feeding. She brought me a drink mixed of lemon/lime/Himalayan salt. Ice cold...cuz she had it for B. It tasted wonderful! My seizure-like spasms scared her tho. I kept murmuring that they were a normal part of my meltdowns...but they do scare people. DH also assured them.

With ice/gel packs, etc...I got a bit better. Enough to get off the stairs cuz the sun was coming around. Lucky for the shade and strong, cooling wind ...still morning. I crawled -literally- up the stairs. Then did wheelchair into house and nearly to swamp-cooler-room. Crawled up on bed and placed ice/gel packs that DH kept handing me. I had to ask if the swamp cooler was working cuz the exertion to get up there had heated me right back up again. Yes...it's FREEEZING in here, he told me. He put the big floor fan right on me too. Took quite a while before I could feel the blowing air was cool [let alone FREEEZING] Ack!

 

That makes #3 meltdown for this summer already. Too many. Last couple summers...I don't think I had any. Takes SO much out of me. I told DH to keep reminding me that { I'm fragile}....

 

I hate that term and hate to BE that term. But I have to remember so I'm not surprised when I don't have stamina right now. Don't have ANY margin for error with heat right now. Hmph!

 

....then we all kept B from following into a heat emergency too as they finished the intended projects in the sun. Yep, they knew exactly what was going on with me....hyperthermia with the MS twist.

 

 

MtRider ....scorchy summer indeed!

Edited July 20, 2016 by Mt_Rider

[Mt_Rider]

Putting in a quick word on Heat Problems....referencing my day yesterday.

 

Since much of the country is in above-normal temperatures this week..... EE blog has some reminders:

 

http://beprepared.com/blog/20760/countering-extreme-heat-symptoms-arise/?oc=INEM3604&sc=EMAIL&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emer0720%20-%20INEM3604&utm_term=Master%20-%20Promotions

 

Countering Extreme Heat Before Symptoms Arise

This entry was posted on July 18, 2016 by Emergency Essentials.

Heat Bubble for the week of July 18, 2016 via NOAA

We’re in for summer now. A “bubble” of high air pressure could bring the hottest temperature of the year along with above-average humidity to most of the United States by the end of this week, according to forecasters.

In the Midwest, high temperatures and high humidity could push the heat index – a measure of how hot the air “feels” – to the 105-110 degree range, according to the National Weather Service.

High heat plus humidity can be deadly. Sweating is the body’s way to cool itself, but humidity keeps sweat from evaporating as quickly, which means it’s less efficient. This makes heat-related illness and death more likely, especially in places where air conditioning is less common. In 1995, at least 465 people died during Chicago’s worst recorded heat wave.

Air conditioning is the best way to prevent heat-related illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When the temperature is above 80 degrees, electric fans just circulate hot air.

Being in air conditioning for even a few hours every day will decrease the chances of heat-related illness. Some municipalities sponsor cooling centers – air-conditioned buildings like libraries, community centers and senior centers – where people may go during extreme heat emergencies.

If possible, consider buying a portable generator, like this one from Emergency Essentials. Air conditioning demands during Chicago’s 1995 heat wave knocked out power to 49,000 households for two days.

Dress for the heat in loose-fitting, light clothing and a broad-brimmed hat. Always use sunscreen. Sunburn makes the body struggle to cool itself and causes fluid loss.

People need about three quarters of a gallon of fluid daily according to ready.gov. Some need more: children, nursing mothers, sick people, those who are exercising, and people in a warm climate. In very hot temperatures, water needs can double. The body needs to replace water and nutrients lost in sweating. Avoid caffeine and alcohol because they cause you to lose water faster.

Toxic algae blooming in Utah Lake - via KUTV

Have backup water. A toxic algae bloom in a major Utah waterway prompted Salt Lake County Health Department officials to warn residents to avoid using water from any canal in the county. Floods can also contaminate water supplies, rendering them useless.

Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

 

Heat Exhaustion: Confusion, dark-colored urine (a sign of dehydration), Dizziness, fainting, fatigue, headache, muscle or abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, pale skin, profuse sweating, and rapid heartbeat.

Heat Stroke: Core body temperature above 105 degrees Fahrenheit, fainting, throbbing headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, lack of sweating despite teh heat, red hot & dry skin, muscle weakness or cramps, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat (which may be either strong or weak), rapid shallow breathing, behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering, and seizures

 

If you see someone suffering from heat-related illness, get them into the shade and cool them with water. Water from a cool shower or garden hose works just fine. Get the person to medical care as soon as possible.

Have fun and be safe this sweaty summer.

 

 

 

 

 

MtRider ...Stay safe and cool, friends!

[Jeepers]

Wow Mt. Rider. That's horrible. Not many places in the States you can escape the heat during the summer.

 

It got up to 82 here today. Tomorrow through next Monday it's supposed to reach 90. Funny how 90 degrees sounds so much hotter than 89 degrees.

[The WE2's]

We've been consistently in the upper 90's with heat index' 102-103+ We've only been able to work in the garden for about an hour or so, just long enough to water and pick and give Abby-girl a nice "shower" (which she adores!) in the garden area. I put the hose on a fine misting spray, hold it upward and she charges it...snapping at the water and lunging upward...having a ball :-) She's now allowed full run of all three yards (incluidng the garden yard) since she's staying out of our beds etc. She sniffs and wanders around checking things out. All I have to do is walk away and she follows me. We have been having to pick japanese beetles off the Okra leaves and dump them into a bucket of soap and water...kills them instantly. this is the first time we've ever had anything like that :-( Tonight I only dunked about 6 so we're making progess :-) I'm going to have to put up some pickles shortly. We're leaving Sunday to go take care of some things for a friend, and we'll be hitching up the travel trailer and camping in a campground not far from their home. Decided to put off our anniversary trip until things cool down...in more ways than one.

[sassenach]

88F here 330pm , warm..... fans are on. am fine. 4F hotter than expected but Saturday may bring rain and cool things off again.

[Mt_Rider]

Blobs of rain heading thru CO today. Had to get my sox/undies off the clothes line. The line is under the porch roof but not far enough for any wind-blown wet.

 

Trying to stay cool and resting. Still have major SHAKES if I try to DO anything.

 

MtRider

[Jeepers]

It is 93 right now. I mowed the lawn around 11:00am and it wasn't too bad. Riding on the tractor isn't much of a hardship though. I thought it was Friday so I wanted to mow before the weekend. Well, I guess I did. One good thing is that we have a steady breeze and that helps tremendously.