Hot! Did I say it was hot in Tucson? Holy Mackerel!

I'm feeling pretty comfortable in Tucson, AZ. The weather is the big deal. There's an expected temperature of 106 F. After being in Silver City, this feels much like being in an oven whenever I step outdoors. The hours between 11am and 4pm are the worst. Tomorrow is September 1st, and I'm hoping for some change. A cool breeze in the evening would be great.


I took a train and a bus back to Silver to get the Toyota. Having her here in Tucson makes a big difference. Without the car, the motorcycle was reliable transport, but crude. The sun was giving me a biker's tan, and my face was browning considerably.


I'm still working on getting a new transmission cable for the bus. The parts are no longer available from Chrysler, but the cable was used in many applications, so it's a matter of finding an online supplier.  More research to follow.


I took today to explore the downtown area. The Fox Theatre downtown is old and reconditioned. They book some popular acts and I'll look forward to going one day. I was approached by a panhandler after getting out of my car, and found him a shade on the aggressive side. I noticed that the park outside of the public library has many homeless people crowding for the shade of a few trees. I guess I haven't been to the downtown in a big city for a long time, and I was surprised. Downtown Tampa was like that. I'd forgotten. And fortunate.


I did get a hike in yesterday. 2.5 miles in about an hour and a half. At high noon it was at least 95 degrees. I'd packed enough water, but while fiddling with my phone, I turned on a longer route than I'd planned and was pretty fatigued about half-way through, and feeling dry.  The sun is powerful here, and the stories of lost tourists being rescued by helicopter came to mind. I did not want to be a statistic. But I had a feel for the area having consulted the map at the trailhead, and knew that with the Pusch Range of the Catalinas to the East, any hike that went out to the North and East had to be followed by a return route to the South and West. Eventually my trail circled back to the trailhead, and my car.  Extra water is a good idea, and I think that a pair of tweezers, or even the whole 1st aid kit will go with me next time. All those prickly pear cactus! Any venture off of the trail will undoubtedly be accompanied by a thorn or two.  The tweezers have proven indispensable there.


Come on Winter!