My Blog

It is hot out here

July 3, 2011

Yesterday (July 2) Phoenix was hit by a record temperature of 118 F, for this date. The old record was 116 and set 10 years ago.

Here in Mesa it was a little cooler, but still 114, so the difference is hardly noticeable. My sister, who lives in Europe, told me that at her place it was a cool 59 F. Sometimes I get a little jealous, but not very often.

I was born and raised there and I remember the cool rainy summers, weeks with nothing but grey skies and the windy autumn days. In 1986 I had a four week vacation in July and August. It rained for three and a half weeks and the wind make it look like November instead of mid-summer. I had a hard time dealing with rain and I dreamed about going to a place that has an abundance of warmth and sunshine. Well, I found that place. I have been in Arizona for almost 12 years now and never looked back. Sometimes the climate can be brutal especially when there is outdoor work to be done. I always feel sympathy for construction workers, road workers and even mail men who have to deal with it for months.

I have adapted very well to the climate and extreme heat doesn’t bother me very much. Of course that is pretty easy to say by someone who spends most of his time in an air conditioned room. But look at the bright side. In late fall and winter, when in other parts of the country millions of people are struggling with freezing cold temperatures, snow and ice, I’m still outside in my polo shirt.

I lived in Ontario Canada for a year. It started snowing November 15th and on April 15th the next year it was still snowing. There were days when I had to clear the driveway three times. The pile of snow in the front yard grew so high that from the road you couldn’t see the house anymore. And for a long time it was bitterly cold as well.

I like this a lot better, the sun also lifts my spirits. I made it a point not to complain about the heat. It something I deal with the best I can. If I hated it I shouldn’t have moved here. Tonight I will watch Ice Road Truckers again. I admire the drivers who can handle those extreme conditions. The money may be good, but it’s not for my warm blood.