Chat
05-08-2016, 11:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-09-2016, 12:06 AM by Skeetersaurus.)
Julie, I have believed for a long time that there is something special about the Desert SW here, and for many of us, we actually live (generally) what you actually describe.
I do, however, LOVE margaritas...I have to admit that (though I limit myself to about one-per-month, to keep them 'special') ;-)
Now, if we could just root out all the evil, and invite all the good people here to live, it would be a 'proverbial heaven'!
(granted, you have to be ready for the heat, and the wind storms - but once you've got that, you've got it beat)
Oh, yeah, and that +15 UV exposure - long sleeves require a little 'serious thinking' for those prone to over-heating...but you have to wear them to prevent french-frying in a few minutes. Lot to be said for a 'loose-weave white long-sleeved shirt' and a good wide brim hat.
In about a week of summertime here, you figure out all the nuances for why cowboys dressed like they do:
long-sleeve shirts in summer (sunburn prevention)
thick pants or leather chaps if out in the open range (because EVERYTHING has HORRIBLE STICKERS associated to them that are worse than a ticked-off hornet once you get them in your skin)
the ever-present water bottle (because personally, I can down a gallon of water before noon...and ice water is a treat)
wide brimmed hat (not a ball-cap, because nothing says skin cancer like ear tops exposed from a mild-locale hat or no hat)
sun glasses (because we have 360-day a year sunlight that is right there with a welding flare 10-or-more hours a day)
a GPS and cell phone with range (because nothing says 'needy' like being broke down 2-hours from the last road sign you saw on that gravel road you thought would go back to pavement in a mile, and didn't, while the pavement slowly melts beneath your broke down car tires because the surface temp is 200-degrees F...until sunset, when it changes to 40-deg F in 30 minutes for the night)
Yeah, takes a touch getting used to...and a lot to be said for a patio with shade, a cooler with cold water, and a pocket radio while sitting outside, too.
I do, however, LOVE margaritas...I have to admit that (though I limit myself to about one-per-month, to keep them 'special') ;-)
Now, if we could just root out all the evil, and invite all the good people here to live, it would be a 'proverbial heaven'!
(granted, you have to be ready for the heat, and the wind storms - but once you've got that, you've got it beat)
Oh, yeah, and that +15 UV exposure - long sleeves require a little 'serious thinking' for those prone to over-heating...but you have to wear them to prevent french-frying in a few minutes. Lot to be said for a 'loose-weave white long-sleeved shirt' and a good wide brim hat.
In about a week of summertime here, you figure out all the nuances for why cowboys dressed like they do:
long-sleeve shirts in summer (sunburn prevention)
thick pants or leather chaps if out in the open range (because EVERYTHING has HORRIBLE STICKERS associated to them that are worse than a ticked-off hornet once you get them in your skin)
the ever-present water bottle (because personally, I can down a gallon of water before noon...and ice water is a treat)
wide brimmed hat (not a ball-cap, because nothing says skin cancer like ear tops exposed from a mild-locale hat or no hat)
sun glasses (because we have 360-day a year sunlight that is right there with a welding flare 10-or-more hours a day)
a GPS and cell phone with range (because nothing says 'needy' like being broke down 2-hours from the last road sign you saw on that gravel road you thought would go back to pavement in a mile, and didn't, while the pavement slowly melts beneath your broke down car tires because the surface temp is 200-degrees F...until sunset, when it changes to 40-deg F in 30 minutes for the night)
Yeah, takes a touch getting used to...and a lot to be said for a patio with shade, a cooler with cold water, and a pocket radio while sitting outside, too.