esrosedotblog

DRY HEAT

It is time to write the annual 'summer is here' piece for the blog.

Summer is here.

We hit the 112º mark yesterday. 5% humidity. Dry heat. Like a sauna.

This means that if you stand in the sun you will feel it. If you go in the shade, you will get a marked cooling.

That is because the heat is carried by the radiant energy, only a smaller part by the air itself.

When the sun goes down it begins to cool and, often, that cooling goes down as much as 30 degrees.

I just looked. It is 78 outside now. We have the house open.

I really enjoy the sharp feeling of the hot, hot sun. It has an edge. It cuts.

Then I go into the shade.

People work in the heat. They wear a lot of clothes (self shaded) and their body thermostats are set for it.

We don't sweat. The dry air carries off the moisture very quickly. If you are sitting, your ass will be moist because there is a wet air pocket but it will be gone as soon as you get up.

Of course, we do need air conditioning although a lot of people get along with evaporative coolers. These run water over a rotatating drum and run the dry air through it. Cools it down.

We don't use it because it gets mold in the air. Allergies.

We are all straight air. Two units. One traditional and another a heat pump.

And we keep the cooling 'warm' by normal US standards. Most people keep their houses at 82. Remember, it is dry. You don't need as much cool to make it feel cool.

I try to get out in the heat every day.

Many people live in air conditioning all the time. A big mistake.

The sensitivity to the heat is increased and you need more cooling. A viscious cycle.

I do some chores in the afternoon. Franklin and I walk as soon as the sun goes down in the evening.

Most mornings are cool (80s) until noon.

The only time that the heat gets to us is when there is humidity. The monsoon season. Moist air rotating off the Gulf of California or the Gulf of Mexico. So far this year we have had no days like this at all.

So we are happy to see and feel the heat. That is what living in the desert is all about. That nice sharp sauna feeling that makes your eyeballs feel funny. Alive.

Labels: weather