Extreme Heat Index Warning 30 days straight

We always tell visitors to Phoenix that our heat in the Valley of the Sun is a dry heat. We really don't have much humidity in Phoenix. The hot dry heat provides a good market for moisturizer sales to relieve dry and cracked skin. Fly across country to the Southern States for a completely different kind of heat - high levels of humidity packed with loads and loads of heat.

There is no such thing as dry heat in the South. It reminds me of being a kid pulling on a wet swim suit - sticky and slimy feeling of the wet suit against dry skin. In Arkansas, we have been on a extreme heat advisory for over 30 days. One might ask how we know that? From our Blog posts, we came back from the Tail of the Dragon after 4th of July.

There is a heat index reading here that we Arizona born folks don't ever have to bother with. For example, today in Conway it is 103 for the temperature but after the humidity is factored in the actual heat index is 115 degrees.
Either way,
it is hot,
it is humid, and
it is impossible to find something to do outside that doesn't zap energy and blood in your head.

Do I miss the Phoenix heat? Nope, especially my skin doesn't miss the dry heat of Arizona. But this type of heat takes it's toll quickly zapping you of fluids, drenching your clothes down to your socks, and forget any type of good hair day.

I am a water pusher - if we are sweating then we need to be drinking water. One look at us and one might think we walked through the misters at the mall but that was just five minutes in the shade waiting for Brodie to do his business. Speaking of Brodie - I have given Brodie a hair cut to relieve him of his fur coat that seemed to be holding the heat inside his little body. He enjoys laying in front of the fan and drinking ice water from his bowl but other than that it is just too difficult to enjoy a walk outside until about midnight.

Needless to say we are choosing not ride the bikes much since we ride in full gear. But this is the place to watch all the helmet-less motorcycle riders in shorts, flip flops, and beaters riding down the freeways and roadways.

We say "Hi and send our best wishes to our friend David" who is recovering from a near death experience not once but twice in one week. I guess that would be two near death experiences. First, only a week or so having the pink slip to a speed boat, David sunk his speed boat on the second trip to the lake. He has a picture on Facebook of two people floating next the the bow of the boat as the boat is sinking. It settled at 50 feet in below 60 degree water with zero visibility. David swam away with gasoline and oil burning his skin but no serious physical damage. Though the cost to un-sink a boat is costly, especially with EPA collecting all the gas and oil at the scene.

Then days later, David, fellow rider and our sweet gentleman of a friend was riding his motorcycle at 4:00 am in the morning with the normal attire of the area. Yes the same guy!  He missed the deer by swerving his bike but slammed himself and his bike down on a country road in the middle of the dark moon lite sky. He landed sideways skidding down the tarmac at 40 mph. Me and Brodie can attest to crashing at near that speed with gear on. After seeing David's skinless body, broken collar bone, arm in a sling and black eye I will stick to ATGATT. Bambi lives, David lives but David's Harley motorcycle took a hit for the team.

David even took all the skin off the tips of his fingers, knuckles, palms of his hands, forearms, shoulder and knees. Not to mention his $200.00 pair of jeans now are slashed with holes.

It is bad enough the bike is wrecked but to look at David in pain, changing bandages every few hours and unable to move his body normally - one phrase comes to mind from T.E.A.M Arizona classes quoting Motorcycle Safety Foundation - A.T.G.A.T.T.

For those folks who will never understand the sensation of living from the seat of your pants while riding, Google will help with the phrase. For those who do ride the choice is fully yours. But David is a great story of living through two near death experiences and lessons learned. Just seeing his black and blue, ripped and torn body has cemented the reason I gear up when I ride and continue to take skill building classes. David will be several weeks in pain unable to ride, thousands of dollars in medical bills, time off work, bandages, antibiotics and motorcycle repairs.

I guess love of freedom and looking cool 0ut weighs love of money and body. I have heard people say it doesn't look cool to be geared up before riding a motorcycle - I guess not riding because of the pain and suffering of road rash is cooler?

David we wish you full recovery for your body and bike. Hey, David, what's next on your bucket list?

Speaking of Bucket Lists - we can claim to have lived in 400 square feet with no breaks from each other for over 30 days and still smiling and speaking to each other. I am not sure it was a Bucket List item of ours but it could be a hard one to get through. For sure the experience of living in a big tin shed has been the highlight after The Tail of The Dragon for the month of July!

I don't think we would have made it through the entire month without the great folks that work here at National Travelers RV Center. Thanks to Don, Mickey, Chris, David, Aaron, Zack, Brandon and Linda for your conversations. We love you guys. But seriously we are really ready to get the rest of our parts and get out of here. We are ready be on our way to our adventure.

Shout out to all the BMW MOA Rim Riders of Arizona and T.E.A.M Arizona folks for your supportive calls and emails - helps more than you might know right now.
Off to get drenched in slimy sweat as we brave the 115 heat index. Enjoy the dry heat, rain and thunderstorms!
Safe riding!