Triple digit weather.

[Depmandog]

I'm worried for my kid. Just 6 months old. The weather was never like this for me growing up.

I remember back when I was in grade school - all of the cold war / nuclear / bomb shelter / civil defense sirens / safety drills at school , etc, etc...and I was worried about ME.

Times change, one perceived threat is replaced by something else, which will be something else by the day after tomorrow. A wise man once told me - why worry about something you cannot change? Can you control the weather. Obviously not - so why worry

I think you are showing us that you will be a great father. Do your best to spend as much time with your child as possible. If you are married - stay that way. Teach your kid manners, responsibility and the meaning of hard work.

Tomorrows newspaper will have more doom and gloom. Instead of reading the paper - read a book to your kid and enjoy Gods blessing to you!!!

 

[YesDeere]

Depman, First thank you. I'm doing my best and yes I'm married. Plan to stay that way. My parents were divorced and I'm breaking that cycle.
You're right about the doom and gloom. There will be a new topic in a month. When I was in grade school I worried about that crazy Russian with that spot on his head;-)

 

[Domush]

How many people here have not let the 100 degree plus weather interfere with their tractor work?

It's been 105F+ here for over a week (two?) and I've cleared about 3/4 acre of ~30 downed trees and attached branches, then brush hogged it. It looks fabulous, now. Only 3 more acres to go unch:

I've re-re-re-re-learned water, not soda, hydrates. A lesson I have to relearn every summer. BUT, I've survived it. Yesterday was split rail fence day, and today (since we got 1/2" of rain last night.. first rain in 40+ days) the remainder of the fence posts can go in, now that the clay isn't a pile of dust.

It hasn't been fun, but it beats sitting inside all day, every day, and it sure needed to be done.

 

[dmccarty]

I'm with you on the wet towel thing. I'm sure it doesn't actually make a big difference in the body temp but it sure does make it more tolerable somehow or another. I use that and a huge wide brimmed straw hat, white shirt and sun glasses. Makes it seem cooler anyway.

The neck wrap does make a big difference. This is the first time I used ice but I use to make up a kepi out of a wet towel to hang over my neck. I would wet and then fold up a small towel so that a bunch of it would be sitting under a hat. A long part of the towel would hang over my neck. Your neck has quite a few blood vessels if you keep them cool you can work in the heat. If the neck and/or head heats up you are done working for awhile and if you don't get cooled off, well one could simply be done.

I learned the wet towel trick over the back of the neck when I was a teenager digging a trench next to a pool in south FLA in the summer time. I would overheat and cool down under the pool shower. I had a towel, thought of the French Foreign Legion kepi's and made my own on the spot. lol

A few years ago I had a bit of trimming to do around the house. Something I could do with hand tools. In the short period of time it took me to trim the edgers around the house I was done. Very over heated and very out of breath. I was bent over which exposed my neck to the sun. I did not think the short amount of time the job was going to take required the kepi towel so I did not fold one up. I should have because I was DONE in a short period of time.

I spent six hours behind the DR yesterday. I have never been able to handle more than three hours partly due to back injuries that seemed to have healed! Woo Hoo! The ice on the back of the neck really made a difference. It was the first time I have tried it and it worked. I could feel the coolness and I know that helped. If I had been wearing a hat that would have helped as well but a hat gets in the way of the ear protection radio.

Without the wet towel kepi and the ice pack there is no way I could have worked those six hours. After the end of the six hours my muscles were gone which was good because the mowing was done and the DR was sputtering on the last bit of gas. I am feeling it this morning but not too bad at all. I figured I walked 6-12 miles behind the DR yesterday and the DR will work your back and arm muscles something fierce. It is going to be 102 today with a big drop in temperatures over the next couple of days.

Later, Dan

 

[txdon]

How many people here have not let the 100 degree plus weather interfere with their tractor work? I've cut way back on my outside work since we've had the extreme heat. Then again I'm by myself and have some mild heart conditions.

Wedge

The heat does interfere.
The #1 thing to avoid is getting dehydrated with a heart condition. Last summer was Texas's hottest summer with 100 days of over 100 degrees and many over 110 degrees. I was just recovering from a heart attack in the spring and I took it very easy. This summer I work till noon and then If I'm still out I take frequent breaks and hydrate often. On afternoons over 100 degrees it's one hour out to 30 minutes in rehydrating and cooling off. Over 105 degrees it's 30 minutes work and 30 minutes cool down. Over 110 it's not worth going out.

 

[Bob77064]

The past week I have been getting out by 6:00 and working til it gets hot. Then I stop til the sun is going down.

 

[300UGUY]

The heat does interfere.
The #1 thing to avoid is getting dehydrated with a heart condition. Last summer was Texas's hottest summer with 100 days of over 100 degrees and many over 110 degrees. I was just recovering from a heart attack in the spring and I took it very easy. This summer I work till noon and then If I'm still out I take frequent breaks and hydrate often. On afternoons over 100 degrees it's one hour out to 30 minutes in rehydrating and cooling off. Over 105 degrees it's 30 minutes work and 30 minutes cool down. Over 110 it's not worth going out.

Kinda the reverse of our winters. You can work outside ok, at 0F, but if it gets below -10F, very few folks go out for any purpose, the cold gets real uncomfortable, real fast.

 

[RobertBrown]

I learned the wet towel trick over the back of the neck when I was a teenager digging a trench next to a pool in south FLA in the summer time. I would overheat and cool down under the pool shower. I had a towel, thought of the French Foreign Legion kepi's and made my own on the spot. lol

It's the tricks that get you through these weather events and allow to keep up with the chores and not get sick.
I've been overcome with the heat too many times to count here. You can't stay out if your head is pounding and you can't swallow and vomiting....... yea it's as bad as it sounds :laughing:. They would call it "bearcaught" when you fell out on the jobsite years ago :drool:.
The hat, the wet towel, the sunglasses, avoid the sun/hunt the shade if and whenever possible..... and run the garden hose over your head every 45-60 minutes.

Oh yea, if the hose is laying in the sun....let the water run for a minute or so before you put it to your head don't ask me how i know

 

[grnspot110]

73* right now (1:40 pm), cooler than we've had at night for some time. We got 1.85" of rain since 11 am, best rain in more than two months! :cool2::cool2::cool2:

 

[techwrtr2]

Oh yea, if the hose is laying in the sun....let the water run for a minute or so before you put it to your head don't ask me how i know

You don't like a hot shower in a 110* day?

 

[creekbend]

It is presently 102 degrees. I time my outside work for early morning and late evening. Rain is in the forecast for next week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[mjonesnh]

It has cooled down to 98 here in middle Tn., has been 102-109 everyday since June 28. Not supposed to hit triple digits today but sure is getting real close.

 

[RobertBrown]

Not much difference between 102 and 98 as far as hot goes. Either way it's too d&m hot.

 

[dmccarty]

It's the tricks that get you through these weather events and allow to keep up with the chores and not get sick.
I've been overcome with the heat too many times to count here. You can't stay out if your head is pounding and you can't swallow and vomiting....... yea it's as bad as it sounds :laughing:. They would call it "bearcaught" when you fell out on the jobsite years ago :drool:.
The hat, the wet towel, the sunglasses, avoid the sun/hunt the shade if and whenever possible..... and run the garden hose over your head every 45-60 minutes.

Oh yea, if the hose is laying in the sun....let the water run for a minute or so before you put it to your head don't ask me how i know

I have been burned by the hose in the hot sun but that was many years ago! :laughing:

Speaking of tricks, years ago on TBN a doctor posted a formula for a home made sports drink. One of the ingredients was salt substitute which contains quite a bit of Potassium. One year I was working in the heat and hot sun in a polyester uniform. I was drinking plenty of water but eventually I got light headed and not feeling well. I found a banana which I ate and it was like someone had flipped a switch. The light headedness left and I was feeling fine. Ever since I have made sure to eat food heavy in Potassium. I think Potassium helps with muscle cramps as well. Yesterday I was wondering if I would get cramps from my workout with the DR Mower but I was fine.

What I do know when working or just existing with high temperatures is to drink water but also EAT foods with Potassium. Peanuts and bananas work well. I think most nuts are high in Potassium. I will also mix 1 part OJ or citrus juice with 3-4 parts water. The juice is high in Potassium. I know I drank a couple of quarts of water and juice yesterday. One needs more than just water since you have to replace the minerals lost through sweating. Most of the sports drinks are heavy in sugar which makes me sick most of the time so I stay away from them. Sometimes I make up the sports drink per the TBN Doctors formula, without the sugar, or now a days just eat nuts, peanuts and drink the water, juice mixture.

Later,
Dan

 

[chad22]

Oh yea, if the hose is laying in the sun....let the water run for a minute or so before you put it to your head don't ask me how i know

XD. Done that before. Well it wasn't my head. It was my naughty bits. XD. When I was a kid every summer I would stick the hose down my shorts. :shocked: When I was 6 years old I once got a blast of hot water down there, as I forgot to let the water run. That hurt.

I also remember sticking the hose between my legs and acting like I was urinating. :laughing: Did the urination with hose from when I was 5 up until I was 12.

And oh yeah, if I have kids, I'm gonna tell them of me using a hose to act like I was urinating. Then hopefully they'll take up that hobby.

Chad

 

[Cat_Driver]

AT - 109 - we're still wearing jackets.

 

[newbury]

The past week I have been getting out by 6:00 and working til it gets hot. Then I stop til the sun is going down.

What's bad is when it gets too hot by 9am.
What's good is I'm retired.

 

[techwrtr2]

According to the bathroom scale, I only dropped 9lbs.

 

[rswyan]

Tried the wet rag on the neck yesterday - seemed to help and bring some relief .... I'll add the ice next time around for bonus points ....

Good tip.