The disappearing 72

No, the land of 72 has not split in half and sunk into the depths of Puget Sound. This is just the time of year that I have a hard time generating enthusiasm for anything that doesn’t involve a cold drink and shade.

If you live elsewhere than the US, you might not know that the western US has been undergoing a nasty spell of extremely hot weather for much of the summer. A recent high in Death Valley was 128, only 6 degrees away from the hottest temperature ever recorded on the planet in history. While Seattle is nowhere near that (obviously), we hit the mid-90s for a couple of days in July and there have been relatively few days in late June, July and August so far below 80. And before you Texans or Tunisians snort in derisive disgust, mid and upper 80s are enough to get the front page headline in any western Washington newspaper. Because we are so close to the coast, our heat tends to come with a good dose of humidity. Plus, we pale-skinned weather wimps just aren’t used to that kind of heat. Most houses are not air conditioned, including my own.

Add that to some problems related to my long unemployment, and it just hasn’t been a good time to spend time in the hotbox that is the hobby room, or garage that serves as my paint shed. But if I had to do it every day, it’d be work, right? I’m hoping to get back into the swing before too much longer. But then, there is only one day in the 10-day forecast below 80, so it may be September before full service is restored. 

In the meantime, here is a shot of the queue that is backing up next to my workbench.