Too Hot To Handle

“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.”

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy” says the lyrics belted out by Ella Fitzgerald, but not always. Sometimes the heat of the sun plays dangerous games with you that you don’t want to lose.

This last week, the temperatures here in Central California, where I reside, reached high triple digits. Today, the anticipated high temperature is 113, and tomorrow, 114. These cyclic highs, fortunately, happen infrequently. But I lived in Las Vegas in the southern Nevada desert for a decade, when the highs were often 117 and higher in the summertime. Of course, the office's recorded temperature was taken at the McCarran airport, apparently in the shade from rumors I have heard. I believe this because my outdoor thermometer occasionally registered higher than the temperatures reported when I lived there. I heard that this discrepancy was not to scare off tourists.

One year we headlined our show for an entire summer at Harrahs in Laughlin, Nevada a casino town on the Colorado River where the bottom tip of Nevada meets Arizona and California. That summer, the high was 124, I believe, but on most days, the temperature was just below or slightly above 120. Zephyr wind would come down the slopes of the nearby mountains, and when you stepped outside, it felt like a blast furnace hit your body. I preferred staying indoors in our top-floor suite, where I could look out to the desert mountains and down at the boaters and water skiers clad in bikinis or bathing trunks and wondered how they could enjoy hell’s air. I was mainly a people watcher, but I decided to use the pool one day. I wouldn’t say I liked the 118° high heat for more than a few minutes and was back indoors. Lol. It wasn’t for me, so I only went outside to take my Samoyeds for a pee-pee break. Being Arctic dogs, they would quickly do their thing and want back inside, pulling me by their leashes like I was a sleigh to reach the cooler air faster. I bought a few caftans in the gift shop because they are loose and better than more fitted clothing on my skin, so I felt like a nomad in the Sahara Desert.

Our show was dark one day a week, and I would go back home to Vegas, about 100 miles away, to cool off in the lower (105-112 on average) LV temperatures. You get acclimated to the high temperatures, so the cooler temps of Las Vegas, although still hot, were a refreshing respite from the extreme heat in Laughlin. This was proven to me on one of my return trips back to Laughlin. Now, the drive to Laughlin from Vegas is fantastic. Although pretty straightforward, once you are on the way you go through some amazing desert mountainous architecture. You pass through Searchlight, Nevada, with an elevation of over 3,500 feet to get there, and a few miles past Searchlight, you turn left on the 163 and proceed up the winding mountain road and then over the top of them, driving down into Laughlin. So one time, I was alone driving, when in the 123 degree heat, my tire blew; right before I went around the last bend in the road, and around the last mountain where I could look down to Laughlin. Those were the days in the late 1990s when using a cell phone near trees, buildings, or other obstructions like mountainous terrain presented significant challenges to your reception. The older technology of cell phones of that time often required open air for best signal strength or even to operate. You had to venture outdoors or to an open area to ensure a solid connection. The 163 is not a well-traveled road, so I left my car and walked the short distance to open air just past the mountain, about a quarter of a mile away when a filthy beat-up truck pulled up behind my van. I put the cell phone next to my ear as if I were talking to someone as I walked back, hoping and praying the person in the truck had only good intentions, and was a good Samaritan there to help me. I watched the skinny man step out of his vehicle, offering assistance, as my heart raced with fear. Looking at him, he wasn’t in any better shape then his truck. He looked like he had climbed out of a hole. He wasn’t wearing a shirt so that I could see the soil on his leathery-tanned skin. I’m wary of anyone stopping to help, but the shock of his appearance gave me added anxiety. I can’t remember what he said, but his first words calmed me, and my only option was to trust him.

The first picture shows the road leaving Las Vegas, with a Lake Mead in the background. The second picture is of the small town of Searchlight, Nevada. The third picture is where I stopped when my tire blew. To the right is the mountain I had to round to receive phone reception. The fourth picture is the last stretch of road leading down to Laughlin, Nevada in the distance.

I was driving my van that particular day and the spare tire was located underneath the vehicle, so you had to crawl under the car on your back to dismount it. Without putting on a shirt or throwing down a blanket, which I offered him, the guy laid his bareback down on the hot 170° asphalt to get the spare. He must have been there about five minutes before I saw his entire body again. Then, without further to do, he changed my tire while talking about his job working in a rock quarry, so literally did crawl out of a hole. Of course, no wonder he and his truck were filthy head to toe. I noted how shocked I was by his ability to lay his skin on the hot asphalt surface when most people would blister from such an event, and he told me he was used to it. I am not sure how anyone can get used to that kind of heat, but he did so working hard in the rock quarry. Over time, your body becomes more accustomed to dealing with high temperatures, making it easier to work in such conditions without experiencing normal discomfort, like heat exhaustion. The heat did not bother him. To me, he was a supernatural being who came to my rescue. I thanked him, offered him money and tickets to our show for him and his family. But I never saw him again and I didn’t even catch his name. I waved him goodbye as he drove off and disappeared on the lonely highway. God sent me an angel, and I’ll never forget that man. I keep him in my prayers.

So this past Wednesday, I was up early to work in the shade, but with temperatures near 106 and higher that day, the shade was no respite from the heat. I worked hard and fast so I could finish by noon, but with only a few breaks and insufficient drinking water, although I thought I had enough water. I quickly became dehydrated, not replacing my electrolytes, and sought refuge inside where the AC cooled me. Instead of the euphoric and accomplished feeling you get after hard work or exercising, I felt drained. My muscles were weak, and I could barely walk. My mind was foggy, and I felt confused. Adding to this, my pulse rate was much higher, and my anxiety didn’t help my situation. Sitting in a cool bath and drinking more water helped, and it did enough to stabilize my pulse. Fortunately, there are a lot of minerals in our well water, so perhaps that helped balance my electrolytes along with the sea salt I added to my liquid. (I follow a low carbohydrate diet and lack carbohydrates can dehydrate you, so I add salt to our drinks and food). The little salt helped, but not enough to prevent heat exhaustion. My entire episode lasted until last evening - almost two days when I finally began to feel normal again, and I was able to catch up on some of my Substack reading. I felt terrible because my brain was too foggy to respond to promptly respond in notes, so on Wednesday afternoon, I posted I would not be online for a while until I felt better. The response I received was overwhelming, and I want to thank everyone who responded to me for your support and wonderful kindness and advice. Your loving messages touched my heart. But as a result, today’s post I had planned about Frank Sinatra is postponed until next week to cover this critical issue. It’s summertime, and most of us can't avoid the heat altogether, so please take precautions I didn't assume to prevent heat exhaustion or worse a heat stroke, which warrants a medical emergency.

Here are some simple but essential things you can do to help yourself, your family members, and your pets from suffering or even dying from heat-related illnesses. Symptoms can manifest suddenly and without notice, so it's crucial to recognize the signs early on to prevent this potentially life-threatening condition. I am not a doctor or medical advisor, so I only suggest what I learned from my experience.

Sweating serves as your body's mechanism for cooling, and people unaccustomed to heat can produce over six cups of sweat per hour on a scorching day, as the Institute of Medicine reports. So you have to replenish all that water, including electrolytes. Heat exhaustion may occur due to excessive loss of water and salt, leading to the body overheating and having difficulty in regulating its temperature. Early signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, fast or weak pulse, muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting, cold clammy skin, dizziness, fainting, and headaches. I will quickly take action by rapidly bringing my body temperature down in the future. If you do this within 30 minutes, it can aid in preventing severe health difficulties. Effective strategies for quick cooling include moving to a cool place (in front of a fan or air conditioning), Taking a cool bath, loosening your clothing, sipping water with sea salt, placing a cool cloth on your skin, spraying your body with a mister, And lie down and raise your feet. Most important of course, is to get out of the heat. And think about your fur babies outside. I always keep the ground moist under shaded areas for all of my feral cats, and I also put out bowls of frozen water, which melts but stays cold until I change it. If you can, offer them cooler shelter. Even an outdoor fan on your patio will help them immensely from overheating.

Other conditions constitute an emergency, and you must seek medical attention ASAP. And if you or a family member or friend experiences a temperature above 103 Fahrenheit, dry skin that doesn’t sweat, much confusion or slurred speech, A very fast pulse, and, of course, loss of consciousness, immediately call 911. Understanding heat exhaustion is critical in protecting you and your loved ones from the intense summer heatwave we are experiencing this year. So, stay hydrated, seek shade, wear loose clothing, and be mindful of physical exertion in hot conditions and you can reduce your risk of succumbing to heat-related illnesses.

My hope is everybody is experiencing a very happy healthy summer enjoying all that the great outdoors brings us. It's that time of year. Have fun with your family and friends, enjoying barbecues, swimming, fishing, boating, going to the beach, or just sitting outside listening to the birds sing in your garden. Where-ever-you-get-your-kicks, have fun and stay safe.

I leave you with one of my favorite summertime songs, “Hot Fun in the Summertime” by “Sly and the Family Stone," a nostalgic reminder of hot, balmy days when school was out, the sun was shining, and I was dating Randy. It is a song that inspires me with its infectious rhythm and uplifting lyrics that capture the carefree spirit of summer. Its joyful vibe reminds me to embrace life's simple pleasures, find happiness in the freedom and unity that summertime brings, and savor life's beautiful moments.

God Bless you all! Enjoy your summer days! 🤗