Dirty, Rotten Thieves...

 

I got a text around 6:00am this morning from a fellow board member: she and her husband were out walking their dog and saw that a backflow that controls the water flow to the irrigation in our community park was spewing water.  Some thieves ripped the heavy metal cage off the backflow and had tried to cut it with a Sawzall... they must have gotten interrupted, because they didn't get away with the backflow.

But, they did plenty of damage in the process.

I met Shannon there, I turned off the the valves on the backflow, but there was a lot of pressure built up in the lines - water still spewing.  Shannon and I divided calling duties: I called the Police while she got ahold of our managment company on their emergency after hours line.  Then, a call to Agave, the company that does our landscaping and takes care of the irrigation in our common areas.  A call to Backflow Pro that did the original install.

We waited onsite until Agave got there; fortunate that they had a crew 2 miles away.  That supervisor called in another guy to bring the proper tool to shut off the water at diversions valves that were located a ways from the backflow.  Water spewing stopped.

The backflow will need repairs, so Agave removed it so they could take it to their shop.  With that done, I went back home.  An hour later, I got a call from the Police officer who was at the scene; drove out to visit with him.  Nice guy; understood the situation, but didn't give me much hope on finding the people responsible.

So, a fun start to my Monday morning.

What's a backflow look like?  Thanks for asking...

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Most of my morning was taken up with dealing with the above situation.  The Police did come out and take the information; the officer was friendly, professional, but didn't give much hope that there would be anything they can do, since no one saw it happen.  That said, a police report in our neighborhood means we may get more patrols through here.

Posts made to inform other board members and homeowners.

Joan spent some time with me, going through landscaping bids that seem like a large amount of money to me.  Trying to compare things between the 4 making bids is complicated, but Joan helped me go through it all, outlining things in a way to make it easier to compare.  I have now spent hours on these bids... everyone should have a Joan, who is so organized and detail oriented.

It was nearly noon before I had a chance to get in the shower.  But, cleaned, shaved, and mostly ready to take on the day.  Yeah, after noon.  I chose to take a break and make some music: it is good mental floss for me... hard to be mulling over events and numbers when you're playing and singing.  A high point: Murphy hopped up next to me on his own...

 It makes my heart happy when the boy wants to sit by me... and is even better therapy than making music.  And that is saying a lot.

Maybe things will settle down for the rest of the week?  Hahahahahahahaha!

 

Still sorting and wading...

 

More HOA business.  Today was sorting through bids from landscapers so we can have an intelligent discussion with each of them next week.  The numbers are startling; well, at least to me.  People out there see a landscape crew two or three days a week and assume "It can't cost that much."  We have a large community-owned park, meaning weekly mowing and edging, "summer and winter" grass, trees and plants to be cared for, then add in all the other common areas in the community.

I think I may have choked a bit when I saw the value of just the trees in the common areas in the community.  Yeah, we want to take good care of those.  There are also trees and plants lining the streets in the community - all those need care and upkeep, too.

The cost for watering all this is a very big number, as well.  A common concern from homeowners is "What do we get for our HOA dues?"  These two things are a big portion of the budget.  Add in insurance, repairs,  and maintenance costs, and you have a good portion of the answer to that question.

Once again, Joan's organization and input is invaluable in sorting through all this.  I made notes for questions.  Tomorrow, I will contact some of the references these companies have provided.  And make some inquiries for locations where we might be able to have a Town Hall Meeting.

And the beat goes on.  And, on and on.

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And now for something completely different...

The weather.  "Oh, yeah - hot, blah, blah, blah, Jim."

No, not really.  It was only 93º here today.  Cloudy all day.  I actually had to turn up the temperature in the hot tub late this afternoon.  Murphy got to go out several times today, with no concern about burning his paw pads.  He got to see Dicha this afternoon, when they were both outside at the same time.

Stephanie was almost giddy about the overcast; she was hoping for rain.  Honestly, I think she would be happy living in Seattle during the winter.  We won't be following her there.  

Joan likes the desert, but she was happy to go outside late this morning and work on potting some plants.  And not come in fried to a crackly crunch.  (10 bonus points if you said, "Oh, you're referencing a Cheetos TV commercial from the 70s.")

All in all, a nice break from the triple digit temps.  Another day in the 90s predicted for tomorrow.  It doesn't suck.  ;-)

 

 

Another day older and...

 

If you said, "Deeper in debt, from the song Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford, written in 1946 by Merle Travis," you get 10 bonus points.  Only 10?  Yeah, it wasn't that long ago that this same song was mentioned here.

I am now a year and a day older.  As far as I know, no deeper in debt.  I had a good birthday.  Joan and I went out for lunch, finishing with a decadent dessert... it's been a while since I indulged like that, so it was a treat.  Steph and Dan came over last night.  Before that, I played some music for Joan and Murph, but the kids (??) got in on some when they first got there.  I had to explain how some sort of applause or cheering is expected after each song; yeah, they caught on.

And then the adoring...

Notice the shirt in the photo above - Joan had me open that gift first thing yesterday morning, so I could wear it - a "classic" from 1953... can't say I have all my original parts.  ;-)  The thing I am holding in the photo below is a remote temperature read out - for the hot tub.  I have to do a bit more fussing with the tub this time of year to keep the temperature cool enough to soak.  This will be very handy, to know if I need to open the cover or turn the heater in the hot tub up or down.

And, some no sugar brownies instead of a cake (my request).  No way to put that many candles on a browning, so...

 It was a good day.

 

It's a marathon, not a sprint...

 

"You think you're fit enough for that, Jim?"

Thanks for asking.  My idea of working out is when I flip my underwear up with my feet so I can catch them and put 'em in the hamper, without having to bend down when I take them off.  You do that, too?  I had a sneaking suspicion I am not alone in this.

Regarding the title here, I am talking about last night's HOA board meeting.  Starting at 5:00 with an executive session to hear appeals from several owners, then going right into an open meeting on Zoom with homeowners able to watch and participate.

There was a lot to go through, the most significant being the consideration of a new landscaping company.  This is not a matter of having someone mow the lawn in the park - bids from 4 different companies were all in excess of $150,000.  Surprisingly, this topic received little discussion from the homeowners; the big topic there was street parking and hiring a dog poop removal company.  Yes, really.

I had done my homework beforehand...

 Over 200 pages of bids to sort through and compare, agenda to set, CC&Rs and Design Guidelines to consult.  Joan helped me sort through it and get the info arranged so it was easier to absorb and have it collated so I could refer to it during the meeting.

The meeting started at 6:00 and ran until after 9:00, with no breaks.  I think it went well.  Of course, there are comments allowed during the meeting.  Most were encouraging, one guy thinks we are probably the Antichrist.  So, yeah, the usual.  I did my job as president to keep things moving, encourage votes, manage comments, and keeping order.  As expected, about 10% of the homeowners participated.

Joan occasionally poked her head into the music room (where I was set up at my desk) to make suggestions and offer water and support.  And then fixed us something to eat before going to bed.  It was along day and evening.

And now this morning: Happy Birthday to me.  Yep, completed another trip around the sun.  I should be dizzy from all those revolutions.  ;-)  Joan and I will go out for lunch and then get together with Steph and Dan this evening, for a proper amount of adoring the old guy.

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Joan and I went out for lunch.  I got a phone call during lunch from our HOA management rep: the crazy guy who is going out of his way to create havoc asked for a list of all homeowners, including addresses, and asked the rep how to go about filing a complaint against the board and the HOA with the Arizona Department of Real Estate.  She had to tell him she couldn't help him because she has never had to deal with that before.  He is soliciting "donations" to hire an attorney to bring suit against the HOA because of a discussion about the CC&Rs and parking.  He is the admin for a Facebook Group from our community (not vetted) so he has a social media platform.  Of course, the board has done nothing illegal or even remotely shady, but he can get on his FB Group and call us liars and declare "Fines Coming!", even though nothing has been done regarding that.  And then declare that we are causing "division" within the community.  For full disclosure, this guy sent me 38 private messages through Facebook yesterday morning in a 2 hour period.  Hopefully, people can see through his actions, while the board will be retaining legal counsel.  So... no good deed goes unpunished.

Lunch was good.  ;-)

 

Board...

 

Not to be confused with "bored" or a chuck of lumber.  I am talking about being on the HOA board of directors.  We have a board meeting this evening, where we will be deciding on some individual homeowner's appeals, mostly having to do with fines and late fees (in executive session), and then an open board meeting (on Zoom), where I expect there will be homeowners getting their pitchforks and torches ready.

Yes, that is humor.

We are a community and there will always be topics that we don't all agree on.  My goal as president of the board was to resolve issues without anyone having to be disagreeable.  And, of course, the main purpose of the board: to run the business of the community.  It is that "main purpose" that most people don't seem to care much about.  We have community expenses, the largest of which is common area landscaping and watering.

Some people don't care for the job the current landscaping company is doing.  Experience has shown me that this will always be a concern.  So, we have bids to consider regarding a landscape company.  We have a bid for a company to handle dog poop pickup and disposal... this should be a non-issue if people would just pick up after their pets.  People are going to complain when their HOA dues increase because we have to spend more money for landscaping or to pick up dog poop.

Every issue someone wants to "push," results in having to spend more money.  And still, someone is not going to be happy.  Then, you have a very small minority who will get on social media and threaten to sue or suggest that the board members should be recalled if an issue doesn't go their way.  I have joked that being an HOA board member rates right up there with being a dog catcher (not to be confused with Animal Control) in the public eye.

Some people think that, as board president, I can "make a proclamation" and they will get their way.  Of course, that's not how it works.  I have to put my personal opinions on issues on hold while we determine what will best serve the homeowners.  I would call the job thankless, but it is mostly indifference... until an issue comes up where people will take sides.

Currently, we are dealing with a parking situation in the community.  These homes all have garages that will hold between 2 and 4 vehicles.  Every driveway can accommodate 2 more vehicles.  The CC&Rs clearly state that homeowners should utilize those garages and driveways before parking on the street.  If everyone would follow those rules, the crowded parking on the street wouldn't be an issue.  But, some (many) people don't follow the rules, and wind up having 2 or more vehicles parked on the street while their garage(s) are full of stuff besides cars, and there are no cars in the driveway.  To complicate matters, the developer here gave the streets to the City of Phoenix.  And, parking on the street in our community of 367 homeowners is way down the list of priorities to the City of Phoenix.

The street parking means that on some streets, there is only room for one car at a time to pass.  It becomes a matter of public safety.  So, homeowners that follow the CC&Rs complain about those who don't.  And those who don't like to declare that the HOA doesn't control the street parking.

See the problem?  CC&R rules collide with City parking guidelines indifference.  In the end, the HOA is going to have to hire an attorney to determine how this should all play out.  That will cost the HOA more money.  People will complain that their HOA dues go up and they get nothing for that increase.  See that problem?

Homeowners who don't follow the parking rules set up in the CC&Rs have gotten violation letters from our management company.  They complain that they didn't get letters "when Lennar (the developer" was in charge."  And, that is true.  Lennar's purpose is to sell lots and build homes... knowing that at some point, they will turn over the running of the community to a new HOA.

Yep, we are the new HOA.  If you took a poll, I think you would find that most people do not have a good opinion of an HOA.  Because they don't understand the purpose of an HOA: to keep up the community, which will build their home value.  "I don't care about home value - I just want what I want, and I don't want to have to pay anything extra for it!"  Again, see the problem?

I was hoping to have a board that could work together and not be "punitive." My exact word.  I wanted to see an HOA board that would listen, evaluate, then make the necessary decisions.  It should be easy.  It isn't.  People have personal agendas.  Some of those people run for the board.  Some of those people get on social media and try to raise a fuss to sway people to their way of thinking.  So, decisions that should be common sense, and in the best interest of the community, have to be debated.  And, the public (rightfully) gets to weigh in.

And the beat goes on.  Wish me luck.

 

Big Fat Liars...

 

Talking about the weather weasels again.  Before going to bed, I checked weather... the "chance of precipitation" they were talking about was insignificant in the hourly forecasts.  I was more concerned about wind.  The wind was predicted to be single digit speeds through the night and all day today.

They lied.

The wind howled through the night.  In the light of day this morning, the plant stand that holds about a dozen pots had blown over.  Pots broke, plants and dirt spilled out.  More work for Joan.  I was concerned that the pop-up cover we have over the hot tub would be damaged, but it looks OK.  Joan had secured 3 of the 4 legs, and I put weights on all 4 feet.  The fabric top on it was making some noise in the wind, but it wasn't going anywhere.

Other potted plants blown over, but they were on the ground, so nothing broke.

Anticipating some rain, Joan put a second cover over the patio furniture last night.

The predicted high today is only 101º and more humidity.  

 

Pic me, pic me!

 

Typo?  Something to do with taking a photo?  Nope.  There is a brand of guitar pics that I have been using for nearly a decade.  They have one particular material I really like.  This model is $25.

"$25 for a guitar pic??  Are you kidding?"  No, I am not kidding.  I tried some different varieties of boutique guitar pics and this turned out to be my favorite.  This company came out with another line of pics that they labeled with the same name, but in different colors.  Only $8.  I tried them, thinking they must have come out with some way of using that material, but making them more efficiently.  Nope - those pics sounded dull.  I sent them back and got a refund, and stayed with my tried and true model.

This company, Gravity Picks (yes, they spell it with a "k") had a 20% off sale about 10 days ago.  I ordered a couple of my usual pics...

 They arrived last Saturday and when I opened the envelope, the pics were thinner than all the other 1.0mm pics I have received from them.  I could immediately feel the difference.  I present Joan with an older pic and one of these newer ones - without hesitation, she said, "This feels thinner."

I pulled out the digital caliper we have and it read: 0.69mm.  Yeah, that's thinner than 1.0mm.  I sent an email to the company and heard back from the owner Chris that same day: "Something isn't right there - we can fix this."

OK.  On Monday, I got another email from Chris, asking for photos of what my caliper read...

 .69 on one pic, .79 on the other.  I sent the photos to Chris.  His resolution: I need to zero out my caliper.  It measured 1.04mm on an older pic of the same model.  Also, "the model you received is not what you ordered."  These have a pointier tip.

For full disclosure, these new pics sound the same as my older favorite pics - they don't feel the same, and they are definitely thinner.  These new ones are glossier and don't feel as secure between my fingers.

I'll probably keep these, but I won't be buying any more from this company.  I'm sure they won't feel the loss of my business.  As a former businessman, I remember the saying: It is easier and more profitable to keep a customer than to try to convince a potential new customer.

I decided to follow his advice and zeroed out the caliper: 1.04 on an old pic, 0.60 on the new pics.  It isn't my imagination.

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After a lengthy email exchange, Chris is sending me out the right pics and in the "guaranteed" thickness.  It shouldn't have to be this much work to buy a couple guitar pics.

 

Out for a ride in the desert...

 

 

Mid-July.  When the high for the day is supposed to get to 108º.  It's been a week since I got out for a ride, so I was needing some two-wheel therapy.  Damn the heat, I just need to get out early.

It's been a couple months since I shot any video with the Insta360 X4, so I hooked that on the bike.  The editing for 360 footage takes longer, so this gave me the opportunity to see how the new MacBook Pro would do with some video editing... just fine, thanks for asking.  To be fair, though, it is a short video.

 Hope you enjoy riding along - I was happy to get out there.

Shot, edited, music and voice over added, and uploaded.  That's about an hour and a half for this 3 minute video.  It keeps me off the streets and out of the pool halls.

 

You're right...

 

It has been too long since I posted a Murphy photo.  Allow me to correct that...

 What can I say?  I think he is a very handsome fellow.

 

Smooth Move...

 

If you were thinking "Ex-Lax," you get 10 bonus points for having a sense of humor.

I have been kicking around a computer upgrade.  Of course, another Mac.  There were some good deals on MacBook Air laptops for Prime Days, but those same deals were available in person at Best Buy.  It was a strong consideration.  In the end, the attributes of the MacBook Pro won out... and Best Buy had it for $170 less than direct from Apple.  No downside that I can see.

The young lady (Katie) that helped us in Best Buy was knowledgeable and answered all our questions.  Joan was thinking this might be a "recon trip," since the model and configuration I wanted wasn't showing any in stock.  Katie pulled it up on her phone and said, "This is showing that we have 3 left - would you like me to get one for you?"  Good closer, too.  We walked out with a shiny new MacBook Pro.  In "Space Black."  Looks more like a graphite gray to me.  A change for me, since my previous MacBooks have all been some form of silver.

Katie touted the attributes of their "protection coverage," including the fact that they could do a transfer of everything from my current MacBook to this new one for free.  I assured her we could handle that.

When we got home, I set up the new laptop next to the old one, and started the "Migration" (what Apple calls the transfer).  I hold my breath when I do this... years ago (many) there was a glitch part way through a transfer and I lost some files.  This was painless; took about an hour and a half to get through the process (better than the 5 hours and 9 minutes it said at first).  All the files transferred, all the software checks out, and I only had to re-enter my log-in information on Photoshop (Adobe wants to be sure you aren't trying to use a single license on more than one machine at the same time).

Best Buy also had the best price for a trade-in on my old MacBook.  Joan doesn't want it, and I have no need for a second one, so a trade-in makes sense.  They want to you wipe the computer (eliminate all information on it) and make sure the registration for "Find My ____" is removed.  They can't re-sell it if it is still registered with Apple.  Katie suggested that we wipe the old computer first to make it easier to do the trade-in.  "Nope.  I'll transfer everything from the old one to the new one, check that everything is good with that, then wipe the old one."  She understood my reasoning.  While Katie was ringing up the new MacBook, Joan was on her phone starting the trade-in process with the old one.  If that goes as promised, this will have been a rather painless transition.

I started with the initial transfer...

 Then got my iPad into the mix...

 I took the time to back-up important files before starting the process.  That takes a while, too.

I did a test with some video and photos - this new computer is noticeably faster.  The screen is brighter.  It has a built-in SD card slot.  The keyboard feels better.  An M4 chip in the new one vs the M1 chip in the older one.  No complaints with the previous MacBook Pro - it is still working fine and the battery is healthy.  Nearly 5 years with that one, so it has served me well. 

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Music with my local buddies today.  We are very amplified and a harder edge than what I play with Mark and the guys.  Both very different experiences.  This is more of a jam, where with the MIM guys, it is mellower and more harmony, songs worked up.  Both groups are good players.  I enjoy the differences.

 

The Full Buck Moon...

 

The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full Moon.

The full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by.

Several other names for this month’s Moon also reference animals, including Feather Moulting Moon (Cree) and Salmon Moon, a Tlingit term indicating when fish returned to the area and were ready to be harvested.

How it looked this evening (103º at 9:00pm):

Just coming up behind South Mountain...

 And, in its full glory...

 Yeah, it was hot out there while we were waiting for the moon to climb above the mountain.

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I tried some video with the DJI Pocket 3 - that didn't work out, but the camera did get this view of the lights in the yard with the moon...

 Joan has a lot of lighted things amongst the plants and flowers.

 

 

It's a new record!

 

Sounding like a broken record?  Yeah, pretty much.  The predicted high temperature yesterday was 117º.  The actual high reached: 118º.  2º hotter than the previous record of 116º.  The weather weasels on TV treat this like it is a competition, "celebrating" each new record high.

Global warming?  That term seems to set off some people on both sides of the issues.  Based on my non-professional observations, that seems to be the case; this are continues to top record highs.  "Extreme Weather Alerts" (when the temps are expected to top 110º) are happening more frequently.  Another one today, with a predicted high of 114º.

"A cool-off for tomorrow" - that is a quote... "only 110º."

It does affect day-to-day life: with the Extreme Weather Alerts, people are warned about "going outside after noon."  I feel for those who have to work outside.  Construction in the development southeast of us goes on; more activity early in the day.  By mid-afternoon, it tapers off.

Murphy is aware, too.  He likes to spend time outside, which means one of us will be out there with him.  So, early in the day and just before dark... but, early is better.  It was still over 100º at 10:00pm last night.

I try to keep up with the temperature on the hot tub.  The water temperature was 103º when I got in around 8:30pm; the outside air temp was 107º... you can't just turn on the tub and have the outside are temp help cool it down.  I even ran water from the hose into the tub... after letting the water run for a while to get the hot water in the hose and water lines out.  It didn't bring down the water temp in the tub.  I tried a new tack overnight: leaving the tub uncovered.  That worked: when I took Murphy outside this morning, the air temperature was 90º (at 6:30am) and the tub had cooled to 94º.

The hot tub is designed to have the cover closed when not in use.  To keep the water warm.  Also keeps the water cleaner.  But, you do what you have to do.

Is this all about one old guy grousing about the heat?  Well, it is my blog.  But it is a lot more than that.  Even the saguaro cacti seem stressed locally - there is a limit to how much heat they can endure, too.  And looking back where we used to live: the Gulf of Mexico is averaging 2º warmer than it was in 1970.  We all know that warmer water is providing more energy for hurricanes, but more than that, it puts more moisture into the upper atmosphere... which means more thunderstorms and potentially severe weather into states north of the Gulf.  Like the horrendous rains in Hill Country in Texas.  And the damaging storms in the mid-west and east.  "Tornado Alley" has moved east, as well.

It's all related.  The Earth has warmed and cooled over the eons.  We are certainly in a warming period right now.  That means more unstable weather.  "Unstable" - that seems to be a good term to describe Mother Nature these days.

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And, while we're talking about getting outside early and late in the day: the moon-rise over South Mountain was gorgeous last night.  No, I didn't shoot and photos or video.  Joan and I were out there with Murphy.  It was quite a treat to see the glow of light behind the mountain, followed by the moon-rise.  The actual full moon is today, so I may get around to shooting something this evening. 

  

I did it...

 

I was not swayed by the hype.  Or so I thought.

The MacBook I'm looking at was not on sale during the Prime Day (days?) Sale.  I did peruse some of the sale items.  And then I came across a lens I have been considering.  Really, I almost put it in my Amazon cart last week.  After all, I do have a birthday coming up next week.

Lo and behold: that lens is on sale during Prime Days.  $40 off the already good price.  Joan said, "That's your birthday present."  I'm good with that.  It's a 25mm lens for my Sony a6700.  Viltrox (the brand) - I first heard of that brand last year.  This particular lens gets good reviews.  Should be fast and easy to use with the a6700.

 It should be here in time for my birthday.

Swayed by hype?  Not really.  I was looking for a prime (nothing to with Amazon) lens in this general focal length to use when traveling... I like to shoot through the windshield.  May use it on the bike.  We'll see.  I was surprised to see this on sale, though - the price was already good, but expected to rise thanks to the tariffs.

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It's been about a month since Mark and I got together to make some music... I was gone, then he was gone.  Today, we remedied that.  It felt good to play some good ol' rock 'n roll, with harmony.  No new songs, just getting back into the swing of things.  Plus, it was good to see my friends, Mark and Cindy again.

 

 

It's finally here!

 

Did you have trouble sleeping last night?  The anticipation of what Ama Claus (Santa Prime?) might unveil for the Amazon Prime Days Sale?

 

Yeah, me neither.  I am considering an upgrade to my laptop, but the Apple Macbook Air has been "on sale" at Amazon and Best Buy for weeks.  I was hoping to see something better for Prime Day.  I have been going back and forth between the Air and the Pro... price difference, performance difference, screen difference, internal fan vs no fan, difference in ports, size, weight.  All the different configurations make it more of a challenge to get comparisons.

As far as the other stuff on the Prime Day Sales - yeah, I haven't really dug into it... maybe there's other stuff I didn't even know I need?!  I'm kidding.  A lot of hype.

 

 

Above Normal...

 

"Is that like Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average"?  If you said, "Garrison Keillor, from A Prairie Home Companion," you are close and get 5 bonus points as a "participation award."

I'm talking about our local weather weasels... "This will be hottest week of the year.  So far."  No shit, Shakespeare - every week will be "the hottest week of the year - so far" for the next couple months.  Average temperature here for this time of year is 107º.  For a newbie desert dweller, there is nothing normal about living just outside The Gates of Hell. 

To quote the late Sam Kinison and his rant on world hunger: "You live in the f****** desert!  Go where the food is!  We have deserts in America - we just don't live in them!"  Screaming Sammy was funny... not accurate, since about 4 million of us live in this desert in Phoenix... but funny.

 

That's not normal.  Why do people live in the desert?  To get away from "winter"?  People don't live at the North Pole.  'Cause they aren't stupid.  Apparently, living in the desert makes you stupid.  The weather weasels tell us: "You won't want to be outside after noon because there's an Extreme Heat Warning.  It will still be in the 90s through the overnight hours..."  Do we need to be told this?  Are there people here that are so stupid that they don't know you will spontaneously combust if you go outside after noon?

Normal.  At what point does all this "above normal" become normal?

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This is serious.  I like my hot tub.  As in: I use it almost every night.  I like to sit out there after dark and watch planes go by and enjoy the jets (the water kind, not the flying kind) on my my joints.  We are kinda on the flight path for Sky Harbor Airport for traffic coming in from the west.

The serious part: the temperature of the water.  I turn the temp down when its hot like this... 100º feels kinda cool (I keep it at 103º during the winter).  It's an EcoSpa and seems to be well-insulated.  It hold the temperature very steady when it is cool out.  In the heat, the tub is more affected by the sun pounding down on it.  With the temperature of the tub set at 100º, the water temp will climb to 104º or so in this heat... too hot to comfortably soak when the outside air temp is still in the upper 90s.

So, I adjust the temperature on it, as necessary - trying to determine how the heat and pounding sun will affect the water temperature.  I've been doing pretty good... until these over 110º temperatures.  Time to set up the pop-up kiosk over the tub...

It makes a difference.  Last night, the water temperature was 101º when I got in for a soak, around 9:30pm.

"So, why don't you just build a gazebo over the tub, Jim?"  I like the open air feel of where we have this - I can look straight up at the stars, look to the west to see air traffic, or watch the moon come up over South Mountain.  Even this pop-up kiosk cuts down a lot of that visibility, but at least I can take it down for the months it isn't needed.

Yeah, a "first world problem."  Last year at this time, we were gone: spending time in North Carolina, then Arkansas, then New Mexico.  We will be here in the desert for most of the summer this year, so I do what I gotta do.  And, I miss the hot tub when we aren't here.  Such a dilemma, huh?

 

A Trifecta!

 

I first used that term to describe the "attributes" that attracted Joan when we were teenagers (and horrified her parents): long hair, played in a band, and rode a motorcycle.  ;-)

It was a goal that was celebrated, but seldom accomplished, when driving the whale watch boats: 3 different species of whales in one trip.  Once or twice a season, if I was lucky.

Today, another type of trifecta: a different bike outing on 3 consecutive mornings.  Today, I took Joan's Xmax out.  The three bikes we have are very different; on both of mine, I feel like I'm riding in the bike... probably because they both have Corbin seats, which are scooped to give you more support on the backs of your thighs.  On Joan's bike, it feels like I am riding on the bike - I still taller, giving it a higher center of gravity.  One isn't necessarily better than the other, just different.  Cruiser bikes tend to have that "sit in" feeling, and sport bikes are more "sit on."  Just an observation.

The Xmax has more power and grunt than my Burgman; less than the CTX.  So, they each provide a different riding experience.  The Xmax is the sportiest of the three.  

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Before getting out on the bike, Murphy and I had some morning-time together outside.  This is his "S-up?" (What's up?) look...

 I think we all slept good last night.  I didn't hear another intense round of fireworks at midnight.  Walking the yard this morning, I found one cardboard tube - the remnants of one of the aerial displays.  I was surprised that there was only one, considering how many went off so close.

Happy Birthday, America...

 

249 years old.  No doubt, others before me have said, "I don't if this country can take much more of this crap."  But, this blog has never been about the politics.  Heck, it seems to me that humanity may be trying to make itself extinct.  I digress.

I feel like I should eat a hotdog, maybe some apple pie; go to a drive-in theater and watch some fireworks.  You know, like the good old days.  'Cause that's what you used to do on the 4th of July.

These days, I'm good to not be around crowds.  Too many stupid people.  Stupid people, alcohol, and fireworks... what could go wrong?

I digress again.

I got out on the CTX this morning.  A couple degrees warmer and about 20% more humidity than yesterday at the same time.  The CTX is a different kinda bike from Burgman.  Today was a different kinda ride.  Being the 4th of July, I was expecting more traffic up on the mountain.  Before I left, Joan said, "Ride safe - there's likely going to be a lot of people out there."  Yep.

Riding into the Park & Preserve, this sign is a sign of that...

 A view of the city would be spectacular from Dobbins Lookout at the top - you would be able to see fireworks all over the Valley.  But, they have to completely close the park because of stupid people (and fireworks and alcohol).

I didn't bring a camera with my today, but I did shoot a few things with my phone...

 The park was a lot busier today (as expected); yesterday, I saw one other motorcycle - today, there was at least 30.  Plenty of people on bicycles, too.  I rode different today - yesterday, I had the road pretty much to myself, and I may have bumped my adrenaline level a bit.  I was more deliberate today, expecting the unexpected.  I waved a couple Harley riders around me on my way up the mountain... I was enjoying the scenery, the feel of the bike, listening to some tunes in my helmet, and not "pushing it."  On the way down the mountain, I waved a kid on a Honda Monkey (a little 125cc bike) around.  I made it easy for each of them to pass.  Unlike a couple guys on bicycles who rode side-by-side, filling the whole lane.  It was easy enough to get around them, when I had enough forward visibility after a curve; but, they were slow and not about to make it easy for anyone to get around them.  Their problem - I was just enjoying being out.

I stopped at the top of the mountain to re-hydrate.  Stopped once more on the way down to take that photo of the bike (above) and a couple scenery shots...

 Just a nice holiday day to be out, enjoying the ride and the scenery.  And, feeling like a grown-up motorcycle rider.  :-)

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I keep hearing on TV and in the media that "times are tough for the typical American family."  Based on the amount of money that went up in smoke tonight just in our community, you wouldn't know it.  Yeah, I'm talking about fireworks.  The regulations in Phoenix: "any fireworks that launch or explode are generally illegal in Phoenix, except for supervised public displays with a permit."

There were a LOT of launched aerial displays happening, every direction around us.  Just after dark settled in, it sounded like a fire-fight in a war zone out there.  I enjoy a public fireworks display, put on by professionals.  In a safe manner, at an advertised time.  All the commotion out there tonight was not that.

"Aw, Jim, don't be such a curmudgeon - people are just enjoying the holiday."  Yep... an evening of drinking and amateurs with explosives - what could possibly go wrong with that??  I was soaking in the hot tub when the people one lot behind Steph and Dan shot off a dozen loud aerial displays.  Yes, the kind that aren't legal in Phoenix.  Pretty, but obnoxiously loud while they were going off right over the top of our house.

10:30pm currently, and the fireworks competitions are dropping off.  The regulations say that people can set off fireworks "until 1:00am on July 5th."  Hopefully, I will be asleep way before that.

Murphy didn't pay much attention to all the noise, other than looking around when the sound was really close.  I had checked with Steph and Dan earlier to see how their critters were doing - nobody was fazed.  I know some animals panic with all the noise... poor babies.

  
 

 

It's about time...

 

"You got a different watch, Jim?"  No, but thanks for asking.

It has been hot since we got back from our outing in the RoadTrek.  Yes, it's the desert, we expect it to be hot.  The temperatures have been running 8 to 10º hotter than normal (I have no idea what the weasels mean by "normal," when they should be saying "average.")... more than that, it has been hotter earlier in the day.  Too much so to want to get out on any of the bikes.

Last night, we had monsoon rains.  Some places in the Valley got over an inch; I think we were around .15" here in our part of the Valley.  Big winds and blowing dirt ahead of the rain.  So, yeah, it grubs things up.

When I went out this morning, it was a near lovely 80º (at 6:30), with higher than normal humidity.  That goes with monsoon season.  I took Murphy out, and he could lay on any surface he wanted without worry about getting his paw pads burned.  The wind knocked over a couple of Joan's plants in pots, including one nicely growing cactus.  I let her know about the cactus, so she could do whatever necessary to keep it healthy (over my pay grade, but I did help her get the plant stand upright).

There is apparently more rain predicted around noon, but the sky was mostly blue with some friendly looking puffy white clouds.  I decided to get in a ride on the Burgman before it gets any hotter.  I geared up, grabbed a camera, fired up the bike, and headed out.

The riding was good.  Traffic was unusually light (people got out early for the holiday weekend?).  Other than a few people on bicycles, I had the fun twisty roads mostly to myself.  I was home around 9:00, and the temp was up to 88º (104º predicted for a high today - yes, that is cooler than it has been).

I shot plenty of video on the ride - when I feel ambitious, I'll work it up.  But, in the meantime, it was a treat to get out!

Here are some screen grabs of this morning's ride...

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Joan sent me this photo she took this evening...

 A rainbow over South Mountain.  Taken from our patio with Joan's iPhone.  The weather has been a bit unusual today.  Rain to the east of us (around the far east side of South Mountain)... thus, the rainbow.

 

 

Wide Load...

 

"Did you eat too much while you were in the Tetons, Jim?"

No, but thanks for asking.  One thing I was missing while we were on this last trip: a pair of hiking boots.  I don't need serious hiking boots, but occasionally, I want something with a stiffer sole than my "trail ready" hiking sneakers (my name for them).

I have wide feet.  Double E.  Wider on some shoe/boot styles.  Until I discovered Skechers, shoe shopping was mostly an exercise in frustration.  Skechers are not high quality shoes, like SAS... but, they do have styles in wide (and extra wide) widths.  Not a lot, but enough.  Their shoes are mostly light weight (due to the materials they use), and that is a plus, too.  And, that "Slip-In" feature.

 

Joan suggested that "today would be a good day" for getting out for some shoe shopping.  It's hot again (94º when I got up at 6:30 this morning), so an air conditioned ride to the Skechers Store, then out for lunch.  I'm in. 

We left the house around 11:30.  Once at the Skechers Store, Joan helped me pick out some styles to try, then went off to find herself a pair of sneakers.  I was delighted to have various styles to pick from.  I actually quite enjoyed this experience, after decades of having shoe salespeople shake their heads and look down at my fat feet.

 These (above) are casual shoes that aren't sneakers.  And, they fit!  A pair of hiking(ish) boots.  They had some actual hiking boots in my size, but they would have rubbed my ankles raw.  The pair I got are a bit shorter, but have soft padding around the ankle area.  A pair of sneaker(ish) shoes, and another pair like what I have with the stiffer sole, but in a different color.

I am good on shoes now for a long while.  Joan got a pair of sneakers.  She is fortunate to have a size and width foot that allows her to shop in any shoe store.

Lunch afterwards at BJ's.  Insert your favorite BJ's joke here.  The food was good and their lunch specials include a mini Pazookie.  Who doesn't like that?

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It's official.  We are now in "Monsoon Season."

"What is Monsoon Season - is it like Hurricane Season?"  From the NWS:

Arizona's monsoon season is a distinct period in the summer months characterized by increased humidity and the potential for thunderstorms, heavy rain, dust storms, and flash flooding

. It is officially defined as running from June 15th through September 30th by the National Weather Service, a practice established in 2008. Before this, the start was marked by a prolonged period of dew point temperatures averaging 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. 

The key take-away for that paragraph above is "increased humidity."  So, all that crap you hear about "It's a dry heat," is out the door.  It's now a humid heat.  Fun.  Or, as I like to refer to it: Swamp-Ass Season.  I assume no further explanation is necessary.

In a surprising bit of weather, it was 97º at 6:00pm (12º cooler than yesterday at this time).  Cool enough to take Murphy out in the courtyard.  He and I saw these things...

 

For those not into this desert weather phenomenon, those are called... clouds.  Not the usual cloudless blue sky that comes with "dry heat."  These would indicate higher humidity.  And, the earlier mentioned: swamp ass.

Joan and I were talking today: I was lamenting about not liking the the heat here.  She feels it is better than the heat and humidity in the Tropical Tip.  I don't agree.  On the Texas coast, I could still get in a bicycle ride, then get out on a motorcycle or scooter before retreating to the air conditioning.  Here in Arizona, I feel it is too hot this time of year.  In Texas, we didn't have daily news reports about people out hiking needing to be rescued due to heat exhaustion.  To be fair, that may be because people in the Tropical Tip go to the beach instead of hiking in the mountains.  Probably because there are no mountains in the Tropical Tip.  And people don't "hike."  I think it might be because it rarely gets above 92 or 93º in south coastal Texas, even though the humidity is higher (OK, much higher) than in Arizona.

Or, it may be that we always got out of south Texas in the hottest months.  Getting out of Arizona on this last trip was a refreshing change.  But... we're back.  😣  And now, at 6:45pm, there is rain just east of us, and blowing dust where we are.  A 60% chance of rain now in the next few hours and gusty winds.  Some parts of the Valley are getting significant rain.  I went out and put away chair cushions that aren't under covers.  It's coming.

 

 

 

Didn't need a thing...

 

When the discussion of where to have lunch came up, Joan said, "Should we try Hot Dave's Chicken?"

"Um... I think Dave's chicken can be hot (and spicy) - no idea how hot Dave is."

"Yeah, Dave's Hot Chicken."

We have never been there, but they seem to be doing a good business whenever we go by.  It's only a couple miles from our home.  So, Dave's Hot Chicken, it is."

The menu is pretty much chicken and fries.  You can swap out the fries for mac & cheese or kale slaw (yeah, I spelled that right.)  The chicken can be plain, or lite mild to "reaper."  We both went for lite mild.  It was good.  Joan said she likes it better than Cane's.  The guy who helped us at the counter took the time to explain the menu.  As a guy, I can't judge whether he was hot (or not); I don't think his name was Dave.  I'm also not sure if Joan thought the chicken was going to be served by some Chippendale's looking kinda guy.  The guy who waited on us looked more like Chris Kattan. 

That's not the place where we didn't need a thing.  Joan also saw something about a surplus liquidation warehouse kinda place called SaleSumo.  She wanted to check it out.  It was a few miles from Hot Dave's.  They had a variety of things there, mostly home building/home improvement kinda stuff.  Our home is built and improved, so we didn't need anything.  They don't waste any money on decor ;-) ...

 To be fair, most of it wasn't piles of boxes.  Some of it was obviously "scratch & dent" and returned, some of it looked like overstock.  Nothing fancy about the presentation, but they had stuff that was showing a price of "30% less than at Home Depot" (including some things that were in Home Depot boxes).

That was our outing for the day.  It is hot and windy outside, making for very crappy air quality.  The hot: 112º for a high; the crappy: you can barely seen South Mountain or the Estrella Mountains through the brown haze (which may be blowing dirt).  Yes, we had "recirculate" on in the car.  Both an "Extreme Heat Warning" and an "Air Quality Alert" for today. 

 

You're probably wondering why I called this meeting...

 

 Apparently it was time for our performance review.  Nah, just kidding.  The boy does look like he has some concerns, though.  It's a cat ruse: our performance in caring for the furry boy has been exemplary... he has it made.

I took him outside at 6:30 this morning; it was already 88º.  This early morning is the only outdoor time he'll get today - the weather weasels are predicting a high of 117º today.  Extreme Heat Warning for today.  No shit, Shakespeare.  They are suggesting: "Stay hydrated and stay indoors in air conditioning."

I put these up as soon as we go outside:

 The umbrellas help keep the patio and pavers in the shade.  It helps.

On another topic, I added another bit of photo gear.  Well, to be fair, Joan added another bit of photo gear for me.  It's a small tripod/remote for my Sony a6700 camera...

This was recommended for Joan on Vine.  The Vine "activity" has been way down since the whole tariff situation.  There were about 120,000 items on Vine prior to the tariffs; around 40,000 now.  Joan asked if this was something I could use... "Absolutely - I had looked at the Sony version a while back."  We are more selective these days about getting things on Vine, since there is a tax consequence.  This tripod/remote has a value of about half the Sony version... and it works great.  The remote that is in the handle pops out, so you can use it to take photos or video without being right on the camera.  As in: put the camera on the little tripod just outside the patio door, and you can take the photo from inside while in air conditioned comfort... because it is hotter than the Gates of Hell out there.  (96º now at 7:30am)

 

An early start to the day...

 

Breakfast out with Steph and Dan - departure time: 6:45.  The plan (mine) is to beat the Sunday morning rush at Black Bear Diner.

Joan and I were up an hour early.  She took Murphy outside while I got his food ready.  She took photos of the furry boy (with her iPad) in the early morning light...

 Breakfast was good and the plan played out: we were there before the place got busy.

Back home afterwards, it was already 93º before 8:00.  I brought a guitar out to the courtyard, with Joan and Murphy as the audience.  That lasted a few songs, then Murphy went OTW... that's a bit like AWOL, in that they both are "without leave," but OTW is "Over The Wall"... without leave.  Maybe that should be OTWWOL?

He is not a flight risk.  He doesn't always think things through... over the wall, then he sat right there on the other side.  It's a big strange world on the other side of that wall.  Joan escorted him to the front door, and he's now inside for the rest of the day.  Not really "grounded"... it's going to be 110º for a high today; too hot for a furry boy to be outside.  And this not so furry boy, too.  ;-)