Boy it's Hot!!!

[Mako]

I don't want to even clean my guns... I usually get a head start after the match but I just wanted to load up and get the air conditioner cranking.  I understand some of you guys have a colder than normal summer going, how about sharing some of it with us?

I even showered when I got in, I usually lounge around in my cowboy duds until the missus whacks me with something and tells me to get my smelly carcass in the shower.   Now I'm sipping cool drinks and relaxing in front of my computer.   Man I need a gun cleaning service!   They have poop scooping services, yard services, window cleaners, maids and more. 

What happened to all of those kids who used to cut lawns and do odd jobs?  Come to think of it I need a loading service as well.  A couple of weeks ago at one match I had the young son of a friend who is going to start shooting "helping" me load my revolvers.  I charged the cylinders with powder and he seated wad and balls.  Did a great job too!  Also had him picking brass and learning posse etiquette.  Hmmmm, wonder if his dad will "farm" him out to me to load shotshells and rifle ammo too?  For cleaning I could just get a kiddie pool under the trees and let him clean everything in there and then hose everything off.

Wow! This could be the start of something big!  Or maybe it's a sign of heat stroke.  Whatever..I like it!

~Mako

[Pettifogger]

I guess its one of the hazards of getting old and fat.  This morning I got up to go to a match.  Was 97.  Drove one mile to the bank to get some money.  By the  time I got to the bank it was 99.  Went through the drive-through ATM, it was 100.  Prediction was that it would be 113 and hotter tomorrow.  Wussed out and went to the gun show.  Gun show had some ammo and it had dropped a lot in price, but still very few primers which were gone quickly.  Everything else was grossly overpirced.  Left gun show at 12:00 noon.  It was 105.  Ate lunch and headed home.  113.  Now I'm parked in the house in front of this crummy computer.  To hot to go out in the garage and work on guns.

[Marshal Tac]

I'm right there with you Larson.... I got about 15 things that need doing out on the back portch where my little shop is, and every time I look at my digital thermometer that is out on the porch, I'll be darned if I am going out in that heat! It's read'in 114 right this minute..... Guess my "to-do list" is going to grow and continue to get put off until it drops down to at least a respectable 100 degrees!    

-Tac

[Dick Dastardly]

Right here, Just below the glacier, in southern Wisconsin we have had ALL below normal temperature averages each and every month since January.  We had a record cold winter follwing a winter with all time record snowfall.

So, I'm enjoyin' the cool, shootn' Holy Black and washin' up my long johns for the comin' winter.

No, Algore got the belt buckle but never hit the target.  The "Inconvenient Truth" is that he never had a grasp and never signed his score card. . .

I'll be only too happy to sign it for him. " Algore is a liar".

There, I'm out on the limb now.  Care to saw it off???

DD-DLoS

[Fox Creek Kid]

One year we had abnormally hot temps all year. I think it was 2002. One shoot it was like 95F or better & the humidity was like 85% or better. There was NO wind. Many older shooters drooped out and after the last stage I started to feel nauseous. I drove to town ASAP. Rinsed with cold water and drank about a gallon in the AC of the Quik Shop. I was queasy and felt ill. I was pushing fluids that shoot as well.

[Professor Marvel]

According to the local weather guru's we are heading into  another El Nino - second in 3 years, usually they are spaced 7-10 years apart. Watch for record heat, drought in some areas, and more floods in the Texican regions. As the weather patterns change we will probably see new arid regions that were formerly lush, and formerly dry regions (such as Denver) getting deluged.

The typical Denver rain pattern from the 50's though about '95 was "scattered showers" in the spring afternoons. We could see the individual thundercloud come over the mountains, and took bets on which suburb would achieve rainfall. Now, Denver gets Lead Gray Skies from horizon to horizon, and major deluges follow. Yards are growing mushrooms; trees and lumber are getting wet rot which was previously unheard of; as the relative humidity has risen from about 15% to between 50-60% Swamp Coolers no longer work, and mold growth is now  major problem. High Plains used to equate to Arid Desert.

yhs
Prof Marvel

[Wills Point Pete]

 Yes and in west Texas, a few hundred miles from the Gulf of Mexico you can dig down into the sandy soil and find sea shells. Climate is changing, just like climate has always changed. Receding glaciers in Greenland means that archeologists are uncovering the remains of vinyards from Lief Erricson's day.
Climate is changing. Nobody really knows which way it will go. Will the glaciers come back to Wisconsin? Will Dick Dastardly grow cacti in his front yard and wear a tank top in January? Will there be a ski slope on Phoenix's Camelback Mountain?

Nobody knows. I do know that humans live in the Sahara Desert and the wilds of Siberia. We'll handle it if we can just get the idiot politicians out of the way. It is amusing that half the world is taking advice from a guy who flunked out of divinity school.

[Angel_Eyes]

What sort of temperatures are those

If it gets into the middle 70's, here in Blighty, then I retire to my cool, concrete floored bunker, and catch up on my loading.

OK, I admit it,,,I'm a total wimp in hot weather, but when we get warm weather on an island like ours, the humidity goes up and I lie down.

The only time I enjoyed high temps was when I holidayed in Arizona some years ago, but it was a dry heat and didn't seem to affect me as badly as it does over here.

Visited that Gunsite Shooting complex,,,what a place,,,forgot that the missus was still waiting in the car,,,ooops!!

AE

[Delmonico]

I think yer all being whimps, it was 95 the day this afternoon this picture was taken, made 19 dutch ovens full of food that day, not much time it lounge in the shade:



(Sorry, the heat waves distorted the picture. )  Dave the other guy in the picture spent the afternoon at the forge and anvil, cooks and blacksmith's must just be tougher.

[Fiddler Green]

The fog is just starting to burn off here.

Bruce

[Ozark Tracker]

Del, what kind of grass is that behind ya?

[Delmonico]

Del, what kind of grass is that behind ya?

Winter wheat, not sure the hybrid.   Was the third Sat in June 2006.  And no I did not burn down the wheat field.

Was Dave and Liz's 30th Anniversery, kids said they had to have a party and they also wanted to know who they wanted to cater it.

We had almost 90 folks there, wasn't no big deal, just kept hydrated and the 'lectolites up, was much better than the day when it got 112, that was warm.

[Mako]

I think yer all being whimps, it was 95 the day this afternoon this picture was taken, made 19 dutch ovens full of food that day, not much time it lounge in the shade:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/Delmonico_1885/cooking%20fires/fireo.jpg

(Sorry, the heat waves distorted the picture. )  Dave the other guy in the picture spent the afternoon at the forge and anvil, cooks and blacksmith's must just be tougher.

He he... Well it got to 95° about 9pm last night, so that makes it in the shade.  

I shouldn't complain it didn't get as warm as it has in the last few days, only made it to 101° where we were probably a bit hotter in town.  And you're right about blacksmiths or even the farriers those guys have it tough.  There are even some machine shops I do business with that have changed their hours to be off by 3pm.

Hat is off to you Del, that's hot work...

~Mako

[Cuts Crooked]

Was 65 degrees, here in Podunk Center Iowa, when I got off werk at 0600 this morning. (humidity was about 99.9999% though)

[Deadguy]

Over here in central Wisconsin, the temps were in the mid 50's when I went to work this morning ,and have climbed to a blistering high of 80 F today.  That's really warm for this year so far, with the exception of one week back in early June where it actually got up to 90! (phew!)

[Fairshake]

Y'all come on down here to Louisiana where I'm about 130 miles north of the GOM. We have had 13 straight days of 100 or better with the humidity right behind it. 3 Saturdays ago I had to pack it in after stage 3. We usually have a little over 30 shooters for this match. Only 11 showed up. This past Saturday's match we had 43 shooters with the mercury running 96 and 84% humidity. Yes you might say that it's hot as we are setting records almost every day.

[Mako]

Y'all come on down here to Louisiana where I'm about 130 miles north of the GOM. We have had 13 straight days of 100 or better with the humidity right behind it. 3 Saturdays ago I had to pack it in after stage 3. We usually have a little over 30 shooters for this match. Only 11 showed up. This past Saturday's match we had 43 shooters with the mercury running 96 and 84% humidity. Yes you might say that it's hot as we are setting records almost every day.

Well Fairshake,
I'm  pleased to say you have us beat on consecutive days.  We have only had 8 consecutive days above 100°.  28 days above 100° so far in 2009, but it's not even close to a record! there were 69 in 1925.  People act like it's never been hot before.  It's a bit amazing how we are easily mislead by what we are told on TV and by the people like the inventor of the Internet.

In fact these are the rankings for the years:
1.  69 IN 1925
2.  66 IN 1923
3.  42 IN 2000
4.  40 IN 1913 AND 2001
6.  36 IN 1998
7.  34 IN 1924 AND 1956
9.  33 IN 1951
10. 32 1980 AND 2006


Yet to listen to the pundits it sounds like the Earth is melting.  Whatever happened to all of those polar bears, and when is that ocean front property I bought in Arizona gonna be worth something?  Funny how you don't hear much about the totally melted polar Arctic cap that was predicted recently.


So how does this apply to CAS? Simple, wear your hat and drink plenty of water if you shoot with Fairshake or me.  Take your overcoat if you are shooting with our brothers and sisters in the glacier states.  And take a huge grain of salt when someone starts yelling about the sky falling.

[Delmonico]

So how does this apply to CAS? Simple, wear your hat and drink plenty of water if you shoot with Fairshake or me.  Take your overcoat if you are shooting with our brothers and sisters in the glacier states.  And take a huge grain of salt when someone starts yelling about the sky falling.

And just as important, keep your electrolytes up, just water will not cut it.  Also one must read all cautious about any medication you are talking, some cause problems in the heat, if you are even the slightest unsure talk to your Dr. or Pharmacists, if they don't give you satisfactory answers fire them and get new one who will.

Last but very important, find you a former Navy Corpsman who trained at 29 Palms and has see combat duty in the sandbox.  Give him free rein to hog tie anyone who shows any sign of heat related stress.

Mine is named Salt Crick Rick and he also does dishes.  



Of course any certified first aid giver should understand heat stress.  Keep one around.

[Mako]

And just as important, keep your electrolytes up, just water will not cut it.  Also one must read all cautious about any medication you are talking, some cause problems in the heat, if you are even the slightest unsure talk to your Dr. or Pharmacists, if they don't give you satisfactory answers fire them and get new one who will.

Last but very important, find you a former Navy Corpsman who trained at 29 Palms and has see combat duty in the sandbox.  Give him free rein to hog tie anyone who shows any sign of heat related stress.

Mine is named Salt Crick Rick and he also does dishes.  


Of course any certified first aid giver should understand heat stress.  Keep one around.

Good advice Del.  I especially like the idea of having a personal Corpsman.  Treat him well he deserves it.  A Corpsman in the field is worth two or more fully staffed operating theaters back at the "ranch."
~Mako

[Professor Marvel]

People act like it's never been hot before.  It's a bit amazing how we are easily mislead by what we are told on TV and by the people like the inventor of the Internet.

Indeed, memories are incredibly short. Only 9 years ago a heat wave swept the Dakotas, on Pine Ridge temps hit 107 and cattle were dropping in the fields.

And just as important, keep your electrolytes up, just water will not cut it.  Also one must read all cautious about any medication you are talking, some cause problems in the heat, if you are even the slightest unsure talk to your Dr. or Pharmacists, if they don't give you satisfactory answers fire them and get new one who will.

Last but very important, find you a former Navy Corpsman who trained at 29 Palms and has see combat duty in the sandbox.  Give him free rein to hog tie anyone who shows any sign of heat related stress.

Mine is named Salt Crick Rick and he also does dishes.  

Of course any certified first aid giver should understand heat stress.  Keep one around.

Excellent Advise! If I might add my two bits, do not rely on so-called sports drinks that are based on sugar or corn syrup!
Pedialite is nasty but excellent for emergencies. The original Gatorade was great, but the formula has changed to "sugar water".

As previously stated, Heat distress leads to loss of electrolytes, aka Potassium Dump. Potassium is essential for heart rate regulation!
Potassium is important!! Did I mention how essential potassium is? Early warning signs are muscle cramps, followed by EXTREME muscle cramps followed by convulsions. The heart muscle can convulse.

You can get some potassium from bannanas but if a person is in heat distress they cannot eat enough bannanas fast enough to counter the potassium dump!

Rely on your Medic. Hopefully they will have a bottle of 20 Mequivalent Potassium tabs in their kit for emergencies, but don't take anything without the express advice of your MD or Medic.

If you have a pre-existing condition, or are on medication, esp heart-related meds, wearing a Medical Alert bracelate can save your life.

perhaps our "day job" physicians might chime in.

your humble (but overly verbose) servant
Prof Marvel