Tag Archives: extreme heat

The Road to Diamond, Day 200: Worn Velcro and Frayed Tempers

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 16,2025- The cuff on my trusty Blood Pressure Monitor has been giving way, nearly each time I use it, over the past two weeks. The velcro has lasted fifteen years, through countless travels across the continent and across the globe. I have used it in my Home Bases, first in Phoenix and then in Prescott; in Chula Vista, Northglenn (CO)), and Saugus; aboard a Navy Destroyer, on a Tiger Cruise and on a picnic bench in Pie Town (NM); in South Florida and southeast Alaska . It has been faithful in Canada, across western Europe, in South Korea and in the Philippines. Now, I have a back-up monitor, with a new cuff. Life goes on.

It is the hot part of the year, close to 100 F, here in Prescott and 115-6, in Phoenix. Thankfully, I need not go outside for extended periods of time, at least not after 10 a.m. or before 5 p.m. Soon, the rains will come, and the air will be a bit sweeter. Life goes on.

The nation made it through the weekend, with its varying rallies-either questioning authority or mildly validating it. Attempts at violence, by those at either end of the political spectrum, received their just condemnation-and where they resulted in death, arrest and arraignment. Heat and humidity are no excuse for killing one’s political opponents, throwing concrete or engaging in a fire fight, in the midst of innocent people. Life will go on.

The fruits of ignorance, oppression and intransigence are now coming ripe, both here and in western Asia. Those who have lived by the sword are now finding out what that brings. Those who dwell in a blinkered dreamland, based on a skewed interpretation of Scripture, are finding that others have a very different take on the same Scripture and that there is simply no room for basing an ever more heightened threat of nuclear holocaust on that Word of God. Life trembles, but goes on.

Tempers are far too frayed, and only the stern voices of the People-in every country so afflicted-can bring leaders to the table, and the cool waters of sensibility to bear on their insistent passions. Life must go on.

“You’ll Understand Some Day”

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 12, 2024, Beatty, NV- So did the attendant, at a convenience market in the small Mohave Desert town of Dolan Springs, explain a decision she had made to a much younger woman. Since I am inclined to wish long and happy lives to just about anyone I meet, I silently concurred. Mom always answered my chortles at one or another of her predicaments by singing “Your day will come“.

After a morning of home base activities, whilst waiting for the final word on a possible shelter, I prepared for Trip # 3, of 2024. Right at Noon, the shelter was deemed unnecessary, and by 1 p.m., I set out. Six hours later, after pit stops in Seligman, Dolan Springs, Las Vegas and Amargosa, I stopped here, so as to join a Baha’i Zoom call. It was plenty to drive here, in heat that ranged between 95-118 (35-47.77) degrees. My AC worked its magic and I was fine, so long as I kept pushing water down my gullet.

All along the drive, I contemplated the when of letting go- of power, of control, of position. This is not an issue for me, personally, but it seems much of the leadership of our governmental, financial and social institutions is unable to pass the baton. I have been ecstatic when a younger person shows up and is ready to take up the mantle of whatever mission I have had in front of me. I will always be willing to lend a hand, but being in charge is a bonus, not a craving.

Perhaps some of the younger ones will experience a strong urge to hold on, overstaying their welcome and even outliving their usefulness. Should that happen, I offer this, right here, right now. “May your time in the limelight impart lessons and knowledge that serve you well-and may those be of the sort that can be shared with the younger generations of YOUR seniorhood. May you remember these days, and know when to take the position of being ONE among many, of a number of generations who work together.”

I will spend much of the weekend with one of my favourite families, with 5 or 6 bright, engaging children, and their loving parent and grandparents. There is no overbearing or insecure adult there, at least not when it comes to the children’s upbringing.

Those who have tried are relegated to the periphery of the children’s lives. May they understand, some day.

Justice at Hand, and July Fry Continues

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 17, 2023, Ludlow, CA- The sidewalks here, or the reasonable facsimile of same, roll up at 6 p.m., but only on the south side of the street. The cafe is closed, in other words. Across the street, the gas station/convenience store is open 24/7.

My first order of business, this morning, after packing for the I-5 adventure, was to show support for my friend, whose birthday was yesterday. The court session turned out to be relatively brief, mostly five minutes for a member of the opposite party (legal, not political), to speak her opinion, and to be gently admonished by the presiding judge, as to why that opinion has limited recourse. It appears the matter will be settled, for good, within the next few weeks.

After a slight bit of back and forth, on my part, I headed out in earnest, around 2:30, and passed the edge of our first monsoon shower, which seemed to mainly hit Prescott Valley and Chino. I encountered about 5 drops, whilst passing through Ash Fork, and entering I-40. Upon fueling up in Kingman, I found that extreme heat was going to be with me, for a while: 105-117. Sportage’s AC is equal to the task, and I was most comfortable. So it happened-clear across the Mojave Desert, to this small desert village, which has a modest level of services.

The motel is comfortable and clean. Light bulbs are something of a problem, but I was given a room with lights that work nicely. There is no WiFi, but I have that covered, having worked through the Hot Spot scene, last month at Bellemont. So here I am, close to Barstow, from whence the drive through Central Valley will begin.

Ludlow, at least for tonight, is King of the Mojave.

Resuming Workouts, and A Spicy Brisket

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Posted by on in Community, Personal Values, Social, Striving

July 13, 2022, Grapevine- The title refers to the highlights of this second day of hiatus from the road. This city has a large community services complex, with its impressive Public Library and Recreation Center next to one another. “The Rec” has a good-sized indoor swimming pool, an absolute must in an area that averages 102 degrees Fahrenheit, in daylight hours, during the summer months. All the key exercise machines are there as well, so I got in Abs and trunk twist workouts, as well as a half-hour on an Elliptical.

Spice was the order of the day, meal-wise, with chili from a friend in Tennessee and Y’s dry-rubbed brisket, for respective lunch and dinner. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed anything quite as fiery, and I regard hot spices as a good source of Vitamin C, so today was a pleasant challenge.

Today was also the——- birthday of my twin sisters-in-law. Aram and I greeted each of them with individual messages. Every individual deserves to be honoured on their own special day, without regard for whether they have twin, triplet, quad, quint-or even octo, siblings-or were born on a holiday. for that matter.

There is a full moon tonight, so I am glad to be off the roads, for another day or so. I will go out on the balcony and try to catch a glimpse of the great orb, though.

July Road Notes, Day 23: Heat? What Heat?

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 27, 2021, Castle Rock, CO- That kind of arrogance would be sure to get me into hot water, with my little family and anyone else who suffer the 100-degree plus days that seem to be in store for nearly the entirety of the Great Plains and South, over the next two weeks.

Elantra’s cooling system certainly worked like a charm today, and work it did-even in Denver, the readings were as high as 102,in late afternoon. The main function of the day was to get as far along as possible. Not before, however, I had a small breakfast at Yorkshire Inn, listening as a teacher of Authentic Bible Studies was explaining why it is important to know the original words of Scripture-to which I say “Amen!”. So much of the division we see in organized religion has stemmed from the personal interpretation of words, and differing from the personal interpretation of words, by others. Baha’u’llah says that every word, in Scripture, has “one and seventy meanings.” The teacher, this morning, gave his students the example of a passage where, in Old Hebrew, it is mentioned that certain people used a “wheeled vehicle”. This passage has been interpreted, by some modern scholars, to mean that certain people used a car!

My remaining stops in Nebraska were at Coffee Cabin, in Lexington, where I needed to sit and tend to a business matter; North Platte, for gas; and Big Springs, where Sam Bass and his gang robbed a Union Pacific train, in 1877, whilst on a foray from Texas. This little village, the last stop, westbound, in Nebraska, before I-76 presents itself as a road to Colorado, has a fine Service Area, with Max’s Diner as an especially fun surprise. The food is excellent, and healthful. There is banter aplenty, between staff members, and it’s obvious the servers and cooks are enjoying themselves.

Denver emerged out of the haze, in time for its rush hour slog. My method of going around it is to exit the freeway at University Avenue, turn on any given side street that is southbound, go east on Evans Avenue, then follow either Yale Avenue or Parker Avenue southbound to I-225, thus getting past the slowdown. From there, the feeder connects to I-25 itself.

Thus, I found the way to Castle Rock, home of Red Rocks Amphitheater. That it also falls along a direct route between Boulder and Colorado Springs is a plus. That the direct route is a toll road, is a minus. Overall, though, the day was a plus-as is being among a very pleasant group of travelers, vacationers and hospitality workers, at Castle Rock’s fairly new Day’s Inn.

Just about everything here is new, at least since I was last in Denver, in 2013. The tiny Castle Rock of that era has grown exponentially. Life sure has a way of keeping us on our toes.

The Lamb’s Turn

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Hiking and Nature, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 31, 2021- A common saying is that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I have seen years in which this month now ending has been as leonine at the end as it was at the beginning, and indeed it looks like Easter weekend will be of that ilk, in the Northeast.

Here in the American Southwest, though, it appears as though we are in for warmer weather, with only the slightest chance of rain, through April and probably May, as well. So, with the gentleness, I find I have somewhat more energy. I am at the age where it takes more effort to start the day facing cold and dark and the fullness of Spring is ever welcome.

I also know, however, that cold and dark will always be with us-and that extreme heat is far from a bargain, also. The lamb can grow into a snorting, cantankerous ram, in short order. Life is ever a process of falling down, getting up again, confronting oneself and delving deeper into what is needed, in order to grow more confident. The lessons offered by every infant who goes forth into toddlerhood, without any of the self-pity that often comes later, come to mind. A baby keeps at the work of turning over, lifting self up, scooting along and finally, walking without falling.

It is an achievement, as well, for anyone who casts aside self-pity, who rises above both depression and narcissism by doing the hard work of emotional turning over, psychological self-lifting, moving along with some support and, finally, moving through life without stumbling and falling. It takes lots of courage and true self-confidence, but at some point, it is more than doable.

Striding into April, I see a clear schedule of special assignments in schools, the Baha’i Festival of Ridvan, lots of hiking and maintaining my vigilance against the pandemic (this last, through May-and June, as needed.). I have made small changes (new pillows for my bed, additional exercises and dietary adjustments to bring my abdomen into compliance with my own health regimen) and commit to deeper exploration of this amazing world.

The Summer of the Rising Tides, Day 97: Cramped, but Not Squished

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Posted by on in Assistance, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

September 5, 2020, Phoenix-

America’s hottest (temperature-wise) metropolitan area welcomed me back, this evening-with an air temperature of 113F-at 8 p.m. This is just another reminder of why I left this city, nine years ago. It could, of course, be worse- I could always find myself, at some point, on the plains of northern India, in the Arabian Desert or in Baghdad. I will wait, though, and not be in any hurry along those lines. Thankfully, it was a short walk from the air-conditioned terminal to the air-conditioned van that will bring me back to Prescott (Air temperature, a balmy 81F).

The day started in Baton Rouge, with a relaxing morning and a lunch of left-over jambalaya and crawfish pie, from the delightful Rice & Roux. The business manager of Spring Hill Suites drove me over to the airport, as she has NO desk or transport staff, at the moment. Such is life, in the sneering face of COVID-19.

Baton Rouge Regional Airport is a small enterprise, and was rather languid, even somnolent in places. TSA, though, was alert, and I found that I had not been thorough enough, in sorting stuff out of my carry-on. A nearly-full bottle of water and some plastic cutlery bit the dust.

The puddle-jumper to Dallas-Fort Worth left on-time. With the two seats in front of us remaining empty, my young row mate got his own row-giving both of us some sorely-needed space. The other good thing was that the tiny plane was in the air for barely an hour.

A snack and a vitamin water, at DFW, sufficed before I boarded the somewhat larger plane to Phoenix. We were told that the plane would be “quite full”, leading a different young row mate to take her seat in the middle of the row, with me in the window seat. Fortunately, she was able to take the aisle seat. Given that there was a large backlog of planes waiting to take off, and the seat space is much smaller than I even remember from two years ago, I can’t imagine how it would have gone, had a third row mate shown up.

Two hours later, the still restless and anxious young lady, facing God-knows-what, in the hours and days ahead, was off the plane and out the terminal door like a shot. She said nothing, only glancing at my copy of “The New Jim Crow” and taking note of the title and author, then going back to availing herself of what little comfort the seat allowed. I felt nothing but empathy.

Another friend had suggested ditching the plane in Dallas, taking a train to OKC and from there, going to Flagstaff, via Amtrak. Two things- I flew on the Red Cross’s dime and there is no direct transport from Flagstaff to Prescott. The train is always an option for the future, but I do like the freedom offered by driving.

So, off we go, up to Prescott, and at least two weeks of respite from disaster response.

The Road to 65, Mile 178: But For The Grace

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Posted by on in Personal goals, Social

May 25, 2015, Reno- Yesterday, for us here, was a day of reflection, of gratitude towards the fallen, and of intense discussion about spiritual matters.  I will need to invest a fair amount in my vehicle, this week, and I will be okay; it will be okay.

I am terrified for our country’s fourth-largest city.  I haven’t spent much time in Houston, over the years.  I have a few friends there, and will be in touch with them by private message, tomorrow.  I appreciate, to this day, the assistance given us by some Space City residents in 1984, when my wife was deathly ill, after our return from Guyana.  They sacrificed greatly on our behalf, and set the mold for our own welcoming of people into our home, over the years- some for weeks, others for months.

Now is time for everyone’s thoughts, prayers and actions to be focused on Houston, on Texas, and on the south central part of the country. Water, everywhere, is our sustenance, and yet our threat. Across the globe, India has a different issue:  Extreme heat.  I’ve not been there, but those who have, have told me that the intense heat throughout most of the subcontinent nearly exceeds anything habitable- yet people make do.  It falls to those of us who are doing relatively well, by comparison, to also focus positive energy in their direction.

I’ve had a fair share of difficulty and challenge in my life.  Yet, the old saw about missing my shoes, until I met a man with no legs. always resonates- especially in times like these.  God bless the fallen.  God bless the displaced.