Got Heat?

Blooming non-native Carrion flowers, 1/2 inch

Howdy to all you VRT juicer readers.  I just figured you all would like to know what the summer weather is like here in the Southwest Desert.  It is hot.  Daily high temperatures are around 105 degrees (Fahrenheit), sometimes higher.  It cools down to 80 degrees at night. The humidity is creeping up as monsoon season has started.  Sometimes I see the rain clouds and lightening out in the distance, but it has not rained much yet.

The earth is hot.  The tap water is very warm because the pipes in the earth are warm.  You need some ice cubes if you want a cool drink. 

I look forward to melon season.  You can juice cantaloupe or watermelon with some cucumber, or just eat the sweet melons. 

Hope all you cowboys and cowgirls are staying cool,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2012

Fallen Vegetarians

Day 14 of no coffee.  Day 10 raw food vegan.  It is a comfortable 97 degrees outside with humidity up to 19 percent.  Been so dry I had to water the patio plants today.  Maybe it'll rain on Friday.

I read some interesting information on Dr. Mercola's website:  Most vegetarians are female.  Most of them laps after an average of 9 years of vegetarianism.  This pool of fallen vegetarians outnumbers current practicing vegetarians 3 to one!  They may fall off the vegetable wagon and board the meat truck for reasons such as declining health, cravings for meat, social pressure, etc. Bottom line: 75 percent of vegetarians fall off the wagon, i.e., they are former vegetarians.

They have traded wheat grass for grass fed beef.  Some are just chowing down on commercial greasy burgers and fries, ribs, filet mignon, rib eye, sirloin, bacon cheese burgers, pork chops, ham, you name it.  They crave it.  But I digress.

Back to the website article:  If you want to ensure that your cattle were grass-fed, look for the "USDA Process Verified" label.  That means they were not fed any grain or grain by-products, except for perhaps cow milk, until slaughter.  Apparently that USDA certification is pricey, so many small farmers / ranchers cannot afford it.  There may be some nice grass fed beef in the butcher shop that simply lacks certification.  Tough decision-making for those fallen vegetarians, omnivores, and carnivores -- save a buck or buy USDA certified?

It is not clear whether that USDA grass-fed beef has antibiotics or hormones.  But at least the cattle got to eat grass and hopefully enjoy some nice outdoor grazing in a pastoral environment.  I suppose if demand increases, they will create the grass-fed feed lot.  The concept boggles my mind.

I do not crave meat.  I am thinking about whether I have enough greens in the fridge to get me through tomorrow.  That head of butter lettuce might not be big enough, but I have a good supply of organic celery to fall back on.  I also have cucumbers, carrots, mangoes, nectarines, beets, a green bell pepper, ginger from Hawaii, bananas, blueberries, apples, almonds, one little avocado, and a handful of cherries. What have you got?  Got beef?

Raw veganly yours,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011  P.S. check out this excellent link for raw vegan info, FREE smoothie recipes e-Book, videos, and a super 7 Day Raw Food Challenge and 10 Day Juice Feast.  I have learned so much from this info. 
  http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

A Monsoon Flower

"Rain Lily" in the Southwest Desert

The monsoonal weather, as we call it, continues.  It is humid.  We are not used to high humidity.  One consolation is that something unusual may bloom in all the rain and humidity.  One such treat is what we call a rain lily.  This little flower, whose blossom is about 3 inches in diameter and about 7 to 8 inches tall on a very slim stem, grows from a bulb.  The only time rain lilies appear in my yard is monsoon.  The blossom lasts one day.  Somewhere back in time someone planted the bulb.  It split, i.e., the bulb multiplied over the years, and now there is a cluster of several bulbs.  If you look at the second photo closely, you can see the wilted remains of the early blooming rain lilies.  The blossom lasts only one day, then wilts and dies.

 second photo of Rain Lily

Notice the wilted and dead flowers above the rain lily blossom in the "second photo of Rain Lily" (to the right of this paragraph).  There is a very healthy basil leaf hanging down into the top of the photo.  That old terra cota ceramic plant pot the basil is in has been through over a decade of Southwest Desert summers and winters. It has the wear to show for it.  It has expanded every summer in temperatures over 110 degrees (F), and contracted in below freezing temperatures every winter.

Another unusual thing about this year's monsoon season is the record-breaking wall of dust that swept into Phoenix, the capital of the State of Arizona.  The news reporting folks tell us that the wall of dust was more than 50 miles wide and up to 10,000 feet tall.  When it hit Phoenix, it was reported to be 5000 feet tall.  That's almost a mile high as you folks in Denver know.  Winds were reported as high as 81 miles per hour.  Photos of the wall of dust look like a tsunami, but it was dust, not water.  Folks in Phoenix got quite a dusting of desert dirt particles.  Their cars needed washing and their swimming pools needed cleaning because of the unusual amount of dust that got swept in to the area.  The Phoenix sky turned black with dust. 

I suppose it will rain again late this afternoon as the clouds are starting to slowly appear.  The UV (ultraviolet) description is "extremely high" and we have more than 14 hours of sunlight from sunrise to sunset these days.  The sun is strong, the humidity is high, the temperature is more or less 100 degrees in the daytime.

I hope the Southwest Desert Blogger readers in South Africa and Germany are staying cool.  Let me know what the weather is there.  And P.S., translate it into Fahrenheit for me. 
Thanks and / und Danke,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Got Monsoon?

Yes.  We've got monsoon.  The pattern has started.  Every afternoon the clouds roll in.  The wind picks up.  You may feel a few drops or see a few drops of water on the ground or the windshield.  Then the rain starts falling heavier and very soon thereafter the rain is falling in sheets and buckets.  After a period of time, sometimes a half hour, sometimes an hour or more, the rain tapers off and the storm moves out.  The sun may reappear or the quiet of night replaces the pounding of the monsoon rain.

Last week it was over 110 degrees in the afternoon.  This week it is 100 degrees.  Within a matter of a couple of hours, the monsoon lowers the temperatures thirty degrees to a humid 70 degrees.  The humidity is over 70 percent and it feels hotter because of the humidity.  Remember, we are used to a dry heat here in the Southwest Desert.  Monsoon changes that.  The smell of humidity reminds one of a more tropical climate.  Insects may appear during this season, only to disappear when monsoon is over.  Plants can enjoy the humidity and deep watering.  Enjoy it while you can.  After a while it will be gone and all will be dry again.

The long range forecast calls for chance of rain every day for over a week.  This afternoon the weatherman reported over 40 lightening strikes in a 15 minute period.  The winds did damage to a roof.  We've got monsoon.  What have you got? 

Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

It Rained

It finally rained.  Last evening, after about 90 days of no rain, it rained for about 15 minutes.  It was a heavy downpour -- enough to  overflow the gutters.  This morning I got out the ladder and climbed up onto the roof to clean out the gutters.  I also trimmed the trees that were growing over the edge of the roof and dropping leaves into the gutters.  There are piles of tree trimmings around the house.

Then, late this afternoon, the wind swept in and blew over anything light such as plastic watering cans and buckets, folding patio chairs, a wooden bird house, and pieces of wood propped up against the wall.  Heavy rain followed the wind.  The rain did not fall vertically as it did yesterday.  It blew in horizontally.  It was the sort of rain that is so heavy you hear it if you are in the house.  It sounds almost like hail even though it is only rain.

The wind blew and the rain fell hard.  There was some thunder.  The TV weatherman reported over 25 lightening strikes in the area within a 15 minute period.  Then, after about a half hour, the storm moved on.  A while later the sun came out and dried most of the puddles.  As the song says, "the skies are not cloudy all day."

The smell of moist earth and humidity in the air linger into the night.  The temperature has dropped to  75 degrees.  The sky is mostly cloudy for the night of July 4th.  Monsoon is officially here yet the Independence Day festivities will continue, as scheduled, after dark.  I can hear the sound of fireworks in the distance.  As I look toward town I can see a fireworks display.  The lollypop ruby red fireworks are the most vibrant color against the black sky.  There is a slight drizzle and a light breeze.  The rain is so light I can stand outside and the breeze nearly dries all the rain as it falls.  The fireworks show is about 50 minutes long.  By the end of the show, the rain has stopped.  Sweet dreams.  Sleep well.

God Bless America and God Bless you all,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C.  (c)2011

112 Degrees (F.) and 4 Percent Humidity

Howdy folks,
Today, as I write this, the temperature is 112 degrees (Fahrenheit).  The humidity is 4 percent.  It's hot and it's dry.  The forecast is ten percent chance of rain by end of the week.  Not very good odds.  The odds go up to twenty percent chance of rain during the weekend.  Do I think it will rain?  Let me put it this way:  I'm not running to Las Vegas to place a bet on it.

The nighttime low temperatures hover around 80 degrees.  Life in the Southwest Desert goes on at a slower pace.  Cars roll down the street at a measured distance from each other.  There is significantly less traffic this time of year because the snowbirds, i.e., folks who leave this climate for homes up north where the summers are cooler, are gone.  Year round residents who can afford a vacation may leave for the shores of California, a visit to out of town friends or relatives, and high altitudes or latitudes.  Folks with limited budgets and poor cooling systems frequent movie theaters, indoor shopping malls, or eateries where they can linger in the commercial air conditioning.  An air conditioned vehicle is welcome relief from the heat.

Ice water is the drink of choice in the heat of the day.  I have heard the crabby critique that ice water is not good for digestion, but as a stand alone drink, it hits the spot when you are working in the heat.  Drink early; drink often.  You will probably be sweating more than usual and need to be well hydrated.

I see folks from Northern countries frequent this blog.  I wonder why they are fascinated with the Southwest Desert.  I know why I am fascinated by the Southwest Desert.  It is a unique environment with unusual flora and hearty fauna.  The desert teaches you to use your resources wisely and be grateful for all you have.  The desert environment can be harsh in the summer with severe heat and sudden monsoons.  But it can be pleasant at different times of day and night and different seasons.  The heat of the summer has a dreamlike quality.  We are lucky to have water, transportation, and cooling systems.  We are lucky to have shade, refrigeration and freezers for foods, and experts to repair and maintain the systems and appliances.

If I had a solar car I could park in the sun, and the sun could charge the car's battery, and the car could run off of that charge, it would be efficient for me .  If the roof of my house could store solar energy like a battery, and power my appliances and lights, that would be real progress.  We were made for solar out here.  Where are the innovators, inventors, and affordable prototypes.  Seems only rich folks and government buildings can afford solar panels.  The heck with retrofitting, just build all the new structures with state of the art solar collectors.  When will the roof of my car be a solar collector?  This may not work for folks in Seattle, but it would be of interest to me.

I AM
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011 













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