Yes, it really is a dry heat. There is just a lot of heat.

Greetings and Salutations! How you be?

Just over 2 weeks ago we were enjoying high 80 degree weather and then last week the "Blast-furnace" summer heat arrived. It had been rather nice (and a little unusual) to have the less than 100 degree (37.7778 C) weather for as long as we did. {sigh}

So, about the "It's a dry heat" joke about the Arizona heat. Not so much of a joke.
There realllllly is a difference between 100 degree heat with almost no humidity and 100 degree heat with 80% humidity.
In Arizona when it says "80% humidity", it means it will rain - probably a lot.
In say, Texas, when it's 100 degree heat and 80% humidity, it means I wouldn't be able to breathe. It would feel like trying to breathe underwater to me. {Been there, gasped that.}

The pros of Blast-Furnace heat?

• The first load of laundry hung out on the line is dry before the second load is done in the washer. 
• Solar cooking is totally feasible (and yummy). 
• The heat encourages indoor activities (such as weaving, knitting, and catching up on Netflix).
  {Hmmm - Blast-furnace heat is a bit similar to being "snowed in" during the winter (with smaller {cooler} knitting projects and less baking and holiday decorations).}
• Solar energy is also totally feasible {still pending for the DH and I but when I was a kid, my Dad setup a solar water-heating system for our house that worked great}.
• The Blast-Furnace heat makes our 82 degree house (82 is our "away" thermostat setting) seem downright cool!
• The "siesta" concept becomes very appealing. 
• Parking spaces are more valuable based on the amount of shade the space offers. Parking closer to work/school/store is less of a consideration than if your car will be less than180 degrees when you return.

The cons....well, the cons are pretty obvious. Heat stroke, sun burn, dehydration, etc. 

Um, yeah. Common sense goes a long way when dealing with the obvious. 

We do tend to be a bit light on earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and Mississippi-style flooding. But we do excel at blast-furnace heat. No where is entirely perfect. 

So why am I talking about the weather? 

Well, it is pretty darn hot here. 

And...how else do you start a conversation up with folks that you haven't spoken to in a long time? 

Yep, the weather is generally a safe topic. 

So, I'll end with this: I've thought of you often and I kept meaning to write, but I kept putting it off until after the next school deadline. And then there's always another school deadline. Even now, over the summer, I have things I'd like to finish from the last semester (and the one before that) as well as prep-study I'd like to do for the coming semester. 

But today, I thought I'd pop in to say "Hi!" and I thought I could break the ice with some comments about our Blast-Furnace heat. {wry grin}

Talk to you soon. KiniaCat