It’s been a few days since I’ve posted anything, mainly because I’ve been doing nothing but enduring temperatures over 100ºF during the afternoon all week. This is very unusual weather for Oregon, where it doesn’t usually get warmer than the 80s, but of course, it’s happening while I’m here.
Fortunately, like the desert, “it’s a dry heat.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s still hot! I’ve been waking up on the early side of the morning, getting my work done while I can still think, and then just getting through the hottest part of the day, drinking a lot and eating a lot of freezy pops to cool myself down internally. Lister’s been handling it pretty well, sprawling out on the cool rocks in the shade. I’ve been refrigerating his wet food, even unopened cans, to help cool him off during the hottest part of the day.
I seriously considered buying a portable air conditioner, rigging it up to vent out a side window, and running on shore power. What stopped me was that there weren’t any available anywhere nearby, only household window units that won’t fit, and anything I could order online wouldn’t be here until the heat wave was already over. Still, I’m considering this idea for the future. I can store it in the trailer, and it would help Lister and me stay more functional and comfortable when we can’t escape hot weather, which has already happened twice this summer. If I don’t happen to be parked at a friend’s place, I can run it off my generator, which might actually justify keeping it. I’m not sure — we’ll see.
The other issue I’ve been dealing with is smoke from wildfires. In the top picture, those hills aren’t too far away, yet they’re almost completely obscured. I’ve been breathing okay, and my asthma hasn’t kicked in, which is good, but it’s still not exactly optimal conditions.
The smoke is coming not only from Canada, but also from the nearby Williamette National Forest. I’m not in danger of getting burned out of here. The closest fire is farther away than Eugene. (I’m the blue dot in Cottage Grove.) But I’m not exactly going to go exploring Forest Service roads out that way on my bike, either.
It also has me second-guessing my plans to go spend some time in the Bend area. The smoke is pretty bad out there. I may still go if it clears up, but I’m also considering skipping that area this year and instead aiming for clearer skies.
This gets me thinking about my route back to Quartzsite for the winter. This time, I’m not on a definite schedule. The only determining factors are weather — getting south before it gets too cold, but not while it’s still too hot. (Says he who endured 100º temperatures this week…) I missed Crater Lake on my way here last year, so that’s a stop I want to make on my way out of Oregon. My original hope for last spring’s drive up here was to follow the Nevada border, passing through Reno and Lake Tahoe. It was still snowing there in late April, and because I was on a schedule I went up the California coast instead. That was fun, and I have no regrets, but I’m thinking about taking that inland route south, spending a little time in Pahrump and maybe Lake Mead again (especially now that I have a kayak), before returning to Arizona. This entire big loop of the US has been in the opposite direction I originally intended, so why not continue the trend?
Anyway, now that the temperature isn’t ridiculous, I can get back to work on projects, repairs, and improvements. I’ve lost almost a full week to the heat, but since I’m not on any kind of schedule it doesn’t really matter.
Smokey Da Van 