Monday, June 15, 2009

Day off due to heat

Capped off last night with a very fine lightning show just NW of me. Got a sprinkle from 9:30 - 10:30PM. Checked the rain gauge this morning and it had .03" of rain and 5 dead bees. Kept a low profile and took a cue from Benita by today staying out of the heat. I reckon I'm just gonna have to get up early and get to work before it gets hot if I want to get anything done out here this summer. I thought I had given up having to roll out of bed early every morning to go to work.

My advance copy of Texas Monthly - July arrived in the mail today. Three good reasons to pick up this rag at the newsstand... 1. Great cover story about Ted Nugent with photos by my old friend Dan Winters. 2. Nice blurb about the Field Lab with the photo by my new friend James Evans... 3. And a piece rating the best and worst legislators - that's gotta hurt a little...

Pieced together this video of the storm last night - edited down from a 3 minute shot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLcrfR2_LYs

11 comments:

Bob from Athens said...

Well about the getting up early, maybe you are starting to understand why almost all of the desert creatures roam at night and sleep during the day. Preferably in a deep underground burrow.
When I was a kid in my 20's, my Dad and I built houses in central Arizona, around Casa Grande(about 1/2 way between Phoenix and Tuson).Day time temps averaged about 115 and up and night time "lows" were about 90 to 95 and up. Point is we arrived at the work site while still dark and started at first light, or as soon as we could tell the difference between finger nails and the steel ones. We worked the "first light until to damn hot shift"

KE5MIL said...

Yep, its to darn hot to do anything...With the index it was like 102 today in San Antonio. I'm trying to build a freakin small patio cover right now to get some shade out back, but it's to dern hot to work on it. Very cool video John...any word on how the timer has affected the performance of your swamp cooler?

gumo said...

John, the lightning show was most excellent. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks!

Allen Hare said...

Nice video. I bet it was very theraputic to sit out on your front porch last night with a can of refrigerant, and watch that.
Yes, please stay out of the mid-day sun. From 10:00 A.M. 'till 2:00 P.M. is the most dangerous time. At least you have the advantage of low humidity there.
Good luck with the next phase of the greenhouse project.

dave said...

Really enjoying your blog and following your activity. Worked yesterday morning on putting a fence around my garden so my chickens would stop eating more than I can. When It reached 100 I quit. What are you going to do to keep the critters out of your greenhouse? Those longhorns could make quite a mess.

Bob O said...

"Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun...."

Bob O said...

Sweet video...really beautiful. Did you use the G9 for that, or do you have another camera?

Andy said...

John,
Lovely storm - makes a wonderful screen saver.
May I suggest for the next storm get out your am radio and record the static as part of the audio...until the thunder is audible...then all of us can calculate the distance to the storm and whether its going or coming.
God Blesses you every day for you pioneering endeavors...and thank you for teaching us all the right and simple ways. We can only hope that those PARENTS reading your diaries will teach their kids the right ways.
Looking forward to your greenhouse adventures.
Andy
Off grid in Orlando

Anonymous said...

Ohhhh those beautiful corkscrew horns of Benita's....

Blue Beetle Studio said...

Yeah, I'm heading to my NM land in Sept. to avoid some of that heat. My plan is to build a small vault with stone floor and recessed into the earth for a cool retreat come summer..
Nice vid too!

Unknown said...

After reading the blurb in TXMo, I have linked you on my blog. I think it is so awesome when people follow their dreams and take risks. Thanks for blogging it all.