It’s Stinkin’ HOT

We’re going on over a month with 100+ temps and zero rain.

The temps they were talking about on the radio box this morning were more like 106 or so. They also had a helpful guide – Work outside for 15 minutes, then rest in the shade for 45. Something like that. Whatever. My dumb ass went out and ran three miles. To be fair, it wasn’t 100 when I was out. I’ve found that I can get away bike riding later, around noon or so and still get away with it. The route to the park is mostly downhill, until I get to the bridge. So it takes no time or effort to get out of the blistering sun and on a shady trail. There are only two full sun spots on the trail, but on the way home, it’s out of the park and over the bridge in the sun and heat.

What I’ve been doing when I run is head out between 10 and 10:30. It’s a little early in my day, but it’s not too hot, the sun is lower in the sky, so there are shady spots along the run.

I’m fighting a heroic fight to keep some sort of lawn. My goal is to at least keep it alive in the parts that go dormant. We’ll see how that goes. My potted garden has been a challenge. My jalapeño plant is suffering. I got a handful of peppers before it got to hot and it’s suffering. I moved it so it only gets morning sun. I’ll pull it out when the weather breaks. The other pepper plant loves this:

I have all sorts of banana peppers. That foliage in the front is nearly all basil.

When I was visiting my family back in April, my sister gave me a grapefruit plant. My dad planted a seed from a grapefruit he ate for breakfast, and it grew to a tree. My sister repotted it, showed it some love after my dad died and it started bearing fruit. She took the seeds, planted them, and gave all the sisters and brothers plants. I split mine, which are now on the second pot:

The smaller one struggled for a bit. That’s why it hasn’t taken off like the other. Still, it’s getting there.

I did the same thing. I was eating a mandarin orange that was full of seeds. So I planted a few of them. I didn’t think anything was going to happen, then they all sprouted:

Too cool. Bad thing is that I have exactly two sunny spots in my house that the dogs have commandeered. It’ll be a challenge I’ll deal with when it gets cold. I have at least three months before I have to worry about it.

When the Girl moved back to Mexico, I grabbed a few of her plants she had outside. These took a battering in her garage all winter, and weren’t digging the full Texas sun, even in April. One is a bell pepper plant I gave her like two years ago that I’ve been badgering her to replant. The other I’m not sure what it’s called. It had maybe a half dozen leaves on it when I replanted and fertilized it. Turns out, it likes partial sun:

It’s exploded. Very cool. I have this little garden area on my porch where it’s downright pleasant to watch the birds and squirrels, and of course, the dogs.

The story now is that we’ll see some sort of break, in the way of a cold front, the week after labor day.

Can’t wait, really. It’s miserable being on the motorcycle when it’s this hot. I won’t ride in shorts, so when I go somewhere at night, I don’t feel like changing just to ride. It’s easier to take the truck. That said, I could get up to the Church without breaking a sweat. It doesn’t take long in the truck to get a sweaty back, since it takes a minute for it to cool down. On a short trip, it’ll barely get cool before you’re there.

We’re in the final stretch of the Texas heat. In a month or so someone will turn off the heater and it’ll be glorious.