Desert Heat

Holy rollers, I know I live in the desert but it is SO hot outside. Current temp. is 102 degrees, and temp is expected to be around 112 on Thursday, the hottest day expected this week.

This is the 1st Summer since I've moved to AZ that I've felt like maybe living somewhere else would be a good thing. It's also the 1st Summer that I've had a dog. I don't think that's a coincidence. In Summer's past I've been able to stay out of the heat, much like I stayed out of the cold during the Winter in the many years I lived in Wisconsin. The main difference being here, in the heat, you don't have to thaw out your car before you drive it or worry much about driving conditions. Oh, and the days are sunny and not gray. There are a lot more differences I could name but I won't go into all of them, I'm sure those of you that live here or there know what I mean.

This Summer, however, I've got Sophie. My beautiful, loveable Miss Sophie. Who needs to go on Walkies. And darn it, where's my phone? I wanted to send a pic to attach to this post via my phone and it's downstairs so I'll have to use one already in my library. But I digress.

I walk Sophie briefly in the morning, then feed her. I walk her again during my lunch hour, one of the excellent perks of working from home. And then I walk her again in the evening, or sometimes John walks her. We started fostering Sophie in October last year, so it was already cool. Our lunchtime walks used to be nice, long and leisurely. Not anymore. Now it's a game of staying in the shadows as much as possible and coming back before sunburn or heatstroke can get us. Fun, right? Ha.

She's smart, she sticks to the shadows as much as she can. Luckily for her, she's little and close to the ground so shadows made by bushes alongside the buildings work for her. For me... not so much. And I can literally feel the sun burning into me. It's so uncomfortable. I just told my co-worker, it's like being hit with a laser or something, or maybe like being an ant under a magnifying glass. I swear I can feel the rays penetrating my skin and damaging my cells. Ugh. This will be the year I get wrinkles, I just know it.

Is 30-something too young to become a Snow Bird?

-A