Hot enough for ya?

I vaguely remember PDX briefly touching 100 once in a great while, like about every third year or so for a couple of days in late afternoon, when I was there. Barely, if you were down at the low points of the Puddletown valley and not someplace like the West Hills. And the blues music scene, since I was hooked up with a woman who worked in one of the clubs back then, giving me an informal free pass to stay after hours with her to party with the bands & company after they'd officially kicked out the paying customers and locked the front doors. Does the Dandelion Pub still exist in NW Portland? It was a great blues music venue back in the day, like maybe from around 1985-ish. The owner of the joint got that way by luckboxing his way into part ownership of a cheaply bred little colt named Seattle Slew. Before he put a lot of it up his nose, so to speak.

Quote: MrV

Heck, it's supposed to reach about 100 in Portland this Sunday.

But I won't be here: headed to the Oregon coast to keep cool.

Not just temperature wise: going to watch Robbie Laws play at Rusty Truck.

Las Vegas has its entertainment, and so does Portland.

Actually, there's a great blues scene here and abouts.

see: Hey Mister

If y'all are into weather porn, you don't have to go all the way out to the desolation of Death Valley. Laughlin was officially in the 120s a few days ago, which isn't too unusual there. And they always lie like a rug in a cheap whorehouse about the "official" summer weather in Laughlin, trying not to scare the GeeBeejus outta the tourists, so add at least five degrees or more to whatever they say. Needles, California, on the lower Colorado River not far from the semi-resort town of Lake Havasu City, Arizona has been 124 several times in the last few days, and I've been around there many times before when it was about that.

And there's a nice casino & pretty decent poker room I sometimes like to go to that isn't too terribly far east of the big SoCal megalopolis of the LA & San Diego areas, along the I-10 freeway between Palm Springs & Indio named Agua Caliente (translating to Hot Water in English - or maybe super duper hot freakin water) which I see has been in the 120s. When I asked a few months ago about what to expect for their later in the year seasonal business, the staff and locals playing there have told me to expect that, as it apparently isn't unusual for them. It is a pretty heavily populated area, too. I think it doesn't get quite the publicity for the climate because it doesn't have such a colorful name as "Death Valley."

What all these spots seem to have in common, besides being in the Mojave (or Mohave) Desert, is that they are very low elevation. Located well inland far away from ocean air, but low enough elevation to be near or even at or slightly below sea level. Agua Caliente Casino is in the Coachella Valley only about 10-15 miles from the Salton Sea, which is a couple of hundred feet below sea level even though it is out in the middle of the desert.

A little place on the old Route 66 in western Arizona near the border with Nevada & California named Oatman, which is what remains of an old mining town, has an annual tourist attraction that features a sidewalk egg frying contest. That means exactly what you think it does. Spread out a lump of Crisco cooking grease, and first one to turn their egg without breaking the yolk wins the prize, and the honor of being sidewalk egg-sizzling champion for the year. But Oatman is up in the hills, so it doesn't quite get all as warm & toasty like Laughlin & Needles & such.

I love this stuff. Like I said, for me it still beats the Hell out of uncivilized tortures like ice scrapers, tire chains, snow shovels, and the like. Plus: "Boo!"

Desert Living?
Just head to that bar I posted about. Only open half the year and then only on Saturday and Sundays from noon to six pm. No internet, no phones, no credit cards, just cash. He makes a fortune working two afternoons a week for half the year.

I seem to recall that Rangers assigned to Death Valley or Big Sur drink phenomenol amounts of water. Some kids heading west across the mojave had cokes, pepsis, mountain dews and several cases of beer in the car along with some Dry Ice to help keep it cool. When they stopped to fill up the gas tank, most of them pissed about two teaspoons of urine. All the other beverages had been sweated out of them.

Joshua Tree upgraded its building codes and utility requirements but its still affordable there.

Best thing is to look at BLM maps and buy parcels that will straighten but not expand the BLM boundaries, this means local decision making and local funding for non development easements. You buy forty acres, sell a thirty acre non development easement to the BLM and then live on the remaining ten acres with your spouse, two mules and helicopter pad.

What do I do with the mules? The pad & the spouse, I get.

Quote: DrawingDead

What do I do with the mules?

I'll refer to your signature.

How's this for stretching relevance to the thread topic?

From the Weather Channel (but nowhere near Las Vegas):
Tornado Shreds Store, Leaves Liquor Untouched



It is almost kinda sorta related, because besides the reverence for booze over bread, forecasts have the Sonora & Mohave desert monsoon season arriving (defined as the dew point reaching 55) probably within several days. Which on average is right about on schedule for this shift. Two weeks of high heat in June changes the direction of the air flow, and we get different climate coming up from across Mexico. For visitors or new arrivals who aren't familiar with it, what this means is that those really scary sounding high temperatures go away, dropping by about ten-twelve degrees or so. And then, you can start to worry about the short but fierce desert thunderstorms. Which actually cause more problems and injury to people than the few weeks of very temporary peak heat which bring on the change to monsoon weather. This annual change results in the SW deserts of AZ & CA & NV getting the majority of their annual water falling in July and August, unlike other places. In short bursts, with a lot of wind and noise.

But those late afternoon & evening thunderstorms won't have a handy number attached like "118 degrees!" that can sound shocking to folks in other areas of the continent, so you won't be hearing any breathless "news reports" about it in Cincinnati or Chicago or Sydney or Toronto or wherever. But if you're on your way for a visit within the next two months or so, respect them. When you suddenly see water flowing where there usually isn't any, like across a road, don't go trying to cross it unless you really don't like your life very much.

Quote: DrawingDead

What do I do with the mules? The pad & the spouse, I get.

Mule as symbolism.

The Port Royal Experiment: 40 acres and a mule established requirements for Negro owned land.

In the American South: 40 acres adn a mule was the Reconstruction Land Owning requirement.

Even in todays world of Negroes --Ooops, Blacks. Forty Acres and a mule is an expression relating to building wealth and to the expression 40 acres maybe a mule or 40 acres but no mule, which are separate titles.

Then of course there are such books a:

Give me my 40 acres 'cause I know my mule is dead.

Chickens, two retirees and a mule in Andalucia.

The general expression is, I believe, Ten acres and a mule... meaning a return to a simple agrarian life of self sufficiency and sort of shorthand for the Back To The Land movement and end to urban stress and materialism emphasis.

The actual transaction that I refer to was a purchase by a pharmacist who suffered burnout and his girlfriend-pharmacist clerk who likewise suffered stress related burnout and who opted for a forty acre tract but found they got it totally free because they bought it and then sold a non development easement to the federal government on 30 acres of it. The finacing was locallly handled under a 'straightening the boundary' exception rather than a Washington DC decision and funding being required for extending the boundary. Either way they knew they would never have Condos in the neighborhood or lifestyle again.

Why is it that this heat wave makes me lethargic but not too lethargic to eat?

Quote: DrawingDead

How's this for stretching relevance to the thread topic?

Hey, I know what's important. Else why would they build this? It's only hour drive from Vegas (when I drive Yes, I do drive at 400mph).

Quote: rxwine

Hey, I know what's important. Else why would they build this? It's only hour drive from Vegas (when I drive Yes, I do drive at 400mph).

On my last drive into Vegas from socal it read 113. I glanced down at my temp gauge and it was rising. Had to drop it into fourth and turn on the heater just to make it over the hill.

It's probably OK to speed on the way to Vegas around that area but don't speed from Vegas to Baker. There's almost always CHP on the bottom of that hill.

How many Gateways to Death Valley are there? Beatty boasts it is the Gateway and has to be two hundred miles away.

An interesting read about some tourists who left Vegas to tour Death Valley but didn't return

http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/

Quote: billryan

How many Gateways to Death Valley are there? Beatty boasts it is the Gateway and has to be two hundred miles away.

Apparently the answer to that is some number greater than seven eight, at which point I stopped looking because my breakfast pizza is done. I found the following declaring themselves to be The Gateway to Death Valley:

• Baker, CA
• Beatty, NV
• Johannesburg, CA
• Las Vegas, NV
• A "National Historical Monument" on Hwy. 190 @ mile 111.8
• Newberry Springs, CA
• The Atomic Inn Motel
• Ridgecrest, CA
• California Historic Landmark #442 on Badwater Road @ Hwy. 190


• And, since February of 2015, the Travel Bug Hotel swimming pool in Florida, from which someone is peddling a Gateway to Death Valley "Geocoin." No kidding:

Link to "Gateway to Death Valley" coin advertisement by "lynnray"

Quote:

About This Item

Original: pewter colored 2 inch geocoin with a white and red thermometer monument with flags around it. back is a skull of an animal and what looks like dessert

The brief ad doesn't say so, but maybe it works like a Star Trek transporter if you know the secret incantation. Or maybe it just gets wet in that swimming pool after > 2 years.

Quote: rxwine

Else why would they build this?

To sell lots of little baby Baker thermometers in the "gift shop" at the bottom of it? And some burgers & chips & soda in the Bun Boy Restaurant next to it, which was owned by Willis Herron who originally had the phallus, er, the rather large thermodynamic measurement device erected there?

Palm Springs 115 degrees when I was driving to casinos yesterday...

It was 126 degrees during a heat wave last year in the Palm Springs, Joshua Tree area.

Quote: Johnzimbo

An interesting read about some tourists who left Vegas to tour Death Valley but didn't return
http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/

Sometimes there simply is no "outback mentality". People are used to well paved, well patrolled roads and just don't realize that those "no services for a zillion miles" signs are there for a reason.

I get that 120 is hot, even if it is a dry heat. However other east coast people will feel my pain. Today we had a high of 92 with 70% humidity. I took a vacation day today so I could repair my driveway. I had to mix 2000 lbs of concrete by the bag, 20 bags of mixing in a wheel barrel and shovel I lost 8 pounds. My 5 year old son came out and asked me why I dumped a bucket of water on my head. Ohhhhh I wish that's what happened.

Pushed my overheating chariot to the library to get another book on Puntland and as I got out of the car an elderly woman walking to her car asked me if I was okay. Engine overheats, no AC so I over heat too.

Quote: Johnzimbo

An interesting read about some tourists who left Vegas to tour Death Valley but didn't return

http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/

Proof that these people were delusional and headed for trouble from the start:

Quote:

Egbert faxed a request from the hotel to his ex-wife and son’s mother, Hieki Weber, requesting additional funds be sent to him. These funds were never sent

emphasis mine. He was traveling with his new girlfriend [and unfortunately two kids]

The problem in Vegas in the summer is it doesn't cool down at night...was walking between casinos downtown this weekend...104 at 11:15PM on Saturday night! There is never any relief it seems, regardless of the time of day.

Quote: Paradigm

The problem in Vegas in the summer is it doesn't cool down at night...was walking between casinos downtown this weekend...104 at 11:15PM on Saturday night! There is never any relief it seems, regardless of the time of day.

There's a reason why they built air conditioned casinos in Las Vegas and it's not known for its outside summer-time activities.

Although super earl-y in the mor'n this morn, around 11am or so maybe, my car's thermometer read 74 degrees. I was literally freezing. LITERALLY.

Only here can someone refer to 11AM as super-early in the morning.
I personally like to get out of bed at the crack of noon.

Quote: billryan

Only here can someone refer to 11AM as super-early in the morning.
I personally like to get out of bed at the crack of noon.

When I was AP'ing hardcore, noon would sometimes be when bed time starts.

3:00 AM is the average bedtime for an AP (or whatever) in LV.

Just saw a survey where Vegas, North Vegas and Henderson tied y for lowest amount of average sleep in the country.
Vegas was 12th worse for stress, while Henderson was 87th.

https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-stressed-cities/22759/

Nothing good happens before midnight.

The other day I fell asleep at 3pm and woke up at 6am.

Sometimes, 3 am - 7 am is a great time for APs.

P.S. Palm Springs hit 121 on July 7 the year...

To lower A/C costs as an APer I would be awake from 1pm to 3am daily, go home, crank the AC and open the windows (to let the hot air out) and sleep until noon. Dark shades are a must.

Quote: boymimbo

To lower A/C costs as an APer I would be awake from 1pm to 3am daily, go home, crank the AC and open the windows (to let the hot air out) and sleep until noon. Dark shades are a must.

Eyemasks (Walmart has very comfy padded ones for around $3-6).

Quote: Paradigm

...104 at 11:15PM on Saturday night! There is never any relief it seems, regardless of the time of day.

Sorry, the 75* breeze blowing through the trees just sent my $33 electric bill hither, thither, and yon. Did you say 104? 104 what, cuz that can't be "degrees Fahrenheit"?

Quote: Paradigm

The problem in Vegas in the summer is it doesn't cool down at night...was walking between casinos downtown this weekend...104 at 11:15PM on Saturday night! There is never any relief it seems, regardless of the time of day.

I was remembering it might take until 4 in the morning on hottest days. By then sun will be up too soon and start all over again.

Quote: mamat

Eyemasks

Hate those things. Reminds me of the time I had a spider in my eye.

With home automation you can have the AC on well before you get home you can also turn on an exhaust fan before you arrive.

I think cooling the bed room is probably sufficient rather than the whole house but sleep until noon????

It is really heating up right now in the Mojave desert. The first day of summer is gonna be a scorcher.
https://www.weather.gov/vef/

105 is perfect weather.😎

Quote: MaxPen

105 is perfect weather.😎

of course you love hot weather.

Quote: Paradigm

The problem in Vegas in the summer is it doesn't cool down at night...was walking between casinos downtown this weekend...104 at 11:15PM on Saturday night! There is never any relief it seems, regardless of the time of day.

You said it. I remember last July at midnight our outside thermometer still read 100 degrees. It's because the black asphalt roads absorb all of that heat during the day, and at night it just lets it all out like a fat guy coming home from work and loosening his belt and jeans

It was stupid hot on Sunday in W MI,
94 and humid. Today it was 72.
Gorgeous green day in Michigan's
wonderland. Don't believe that?
This has been a vaycay go to
state for 125 years. Hemingway
even came here in the suumers
of his youth years ago and wrote
about it extensively.

Quote: EvenBob

It was stupid hot on Sunday in W MI,
94 and humid. Today it was 72.
Gorgeous green day in Michigan's
wonderland. Don't believe that?
This has been a vaycay go to
state for 125 years. Hemingway
even came here in the suumers
of his youth years ago and wrote
about it extensively.

I’m pretty sure the bolded is categorically false.


My car’s thermometer reads 97 degrees right now. I think it’s broken. It feels a little cold outside to be honest.

105 is perfect temperature.

Can one of the Mods ban MaxPen and RS for trolling or in this case flaming?


105 is perfect weather/ temperature. Said no one ever, unless they were trolling/flaming.

Quote: AxelWolf

Can one of the Mods ban MaxPen and RS for trolling or in this case flaming?


105 is perfect weather/ temperature. Said no one ever, unless they were trolling/flaming.

Today is supossed to be 114. Even I start to think it is hot after 110.

Ayyy,,,the teens. If that don't warm up the pool, nothing does. 112 yesterday

Quote: petroglyph

Ayyy,,,the teens. If that don't warm up the pool, nothing does. 112 yesterday

My pool was at 86 yesterday. A couple degrees to warm for me but perfect for my wife.

Quote: DRich

My pool was at 86 yesterday. A couple degrees to warm for me but perfect for my wife.

We have our solar blanket on, there is a brand new bunny hopping around and if we don't cover up, they usually end up in the strainer basket. A week or so and they pretty much learn not to jump in the pool. ymmv

Quote: RS

I’m pretty sure the bolded is categorically false.

And you'd be categorically wrong. MI has
been a vacay state for people in Chicago
since the 1870's. Hemingway's fam started
coming here in 1900. Chicago can be very
hot in the summer. Upper MI was considered
a rugged adventure where you could rent
a cabin on Lake MI or an inland lake and
'rough' it for a couple weeks. The hunting
and fishing here was fantastic. Only people
with money could afford it, but there were
thousands of well off people in Chicago
even in those days.

Quote: EvenBob

And you'd be categorically wrong. MI has
been a vacay state for people in Chicago
since the 1870's. Hemingway's fam started
coming here in 1900. Chicago can be very
hot in the summer. Upper MI was considered
a rugged adventure where you could rent
a cabin on Lake MI or an inland lake and
'rough' it for a couple weeks. The hunting
and fishing here was fantastic. Only people
with money could afford it, but there were
thousands of well off people in Chicago
even in those days.

Michigan is fantastic in the summer. Beautiful rolling hills, hundreds of lakes, great people.

Kind of out of the way, though, for most tourists, which might be why it's relatively unspoiled and undeveloped. But several people I know have summer places up there. Smells wonderful, from the lilac season til fall when the leaves turn.

11:45 a.m., and already 104*

pool is 92, ***kin rabbits.

Quote: EvenBob

And you'd be categorically wrong. MI has
been a vacay state for people in Chicago
since the 1870's. Hemingway's fam started
coming here in 1900. Chicago can be very
hot in the summer. Upper MI was considered
a rugged adventure where you could rent
a cabin on Lake MI or an inland lake and
'rough' it for a couple weeks. The hunting
and fishing here was fantastic. Only people
with money could afford it, but there were
thousands of well off people in Chicago
even in those days.

My family goes to Michigan every summer. (From Chicagoland)

If only Vegas were on the Oregon coast it would be the perfect city.

Quote: Rigondeaux

If only Vegas were on the Oregon coast it would be the perfect city.

That would be great, then Oregonians could relearn what fresh sea food tastes like.