Withering Heats

That's dust obscuring the view of the mountains.

Okay folks. I apologize for the obvious lack of cycling related material, but even I need a vacation from that once in awhile.

At any rate, I wanted to talk about the heat here. Yes- it's been hot everywhere, for the most part, but here in West Texas, the heat has been so intense, there is a severe drought going on. I've never experienced anything quite like it, except maybe for Bootleg Canyon, where the Interbike Outdoor Demo is held. Except this is more intense.

The day coming back from San Antonio on our return from Sea World was an amazingly hot, windy day. We found ourselves driving nearly 600 miles, (yes- one way all in Texas), in triple digit heat for 80% of those miles. At one point, just west of Fort Stockton, Texas, it was 108F.

We stopped for gas and a bit of a rest in Van Horn, Texas, where it was a pleasant 104F, and I stuck my head out the door of the car to find my face in a hair dryer. Well........not really, but I swore it felt exactly that way. The wind has been like that most of our time here. Southwesterly. Strong. You know, strong enough to stand one of those half acre American flags straight out at attention.

Dust Devils, those swirling vortexes of dirt about three to five stories high, are a dime a dozen out in the range lands. I saw one cross I-10 right in front of the car yesterday. Surreal. It's as if the world down here is in a monstrous, hellish version of a convection oven.

We ate our evening meal at an excellent Chinese buffet down here in El Paso on Sunday. I walked out afterward into the last rays of sunlight and thought it felt rather nice. Almost cool. It was 97F.

Can I borrow that feeling come January in Iowa?