Hot is hot.

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Even when I can get the apartment down to 76 F, the lowest I have been able to get it, it is simply too warm to allow me to sleep well. I could not get to sleep last night to save my soul. And I was tired. I finally found sleep at about 7:00 or 8:00, exhausted and beyond being bothered by the heat. My sleep is often fitfull, rolling around trying to find a cooler position. The A/C is coming and will be here between tomorrow and a week from tomorrow. It will be greatly appreciated. To be honest though, I doubt if I will keep the day time temps any cooler than 76 F. That seems to get me up and going, when I can be awake.

I had hoped to go fishing this morning. With the lack of sleep, that was not possible. I did go out shooting this afternoon. My neighbor tinkers with his pistol, his .45 anyway, trying to get the best out of it that he can. It was a whole bought gun but he has tuned it and has turned it into a kit gun. Only a few basic parts from the original remain, so far. It needs a little tuning yet, to accurize it, but it is coming along.

I bought the right staples today, for my target. The wood, however, is a little hard. With any wind, it wants to fall apart. I will get the glue on most of the parts, and with softer wood as well, I think it will work perfectly well. With the wind and hard wood, the stand kept falling apart today. I was finally able to get it to stand, when the wind relaxed a bit, and we were able to get use it for a while. My .22 pistol is a little darling. At 25 yards, I only missed the head (on a man target) about 4 out of 30 shots. Most were in the X-ring. The missed shots were in the speed shooting. When I take a second to aim, it simply does not miss. Bit by bit, my little schemes are falling into place. Next time I want to place it at 50 or 100 yards and see how my rifle does. I really need a spotting scope though, for that, and a tape measure.

No fishing was attempted today. It seemed quite hot, hotter than usual, today. The forecast is for hotter weather yet. I will have to start going in the early hours or in the later afternoon. It is just too hot to be out doing anything. My guess is the cooling trend for August will be a negative one. Or, to put it more directly, August will be blazing hot compared to this uncomfortable heat we have now.

I did take some pictures with my digital camera. I will see if they are any good, on this machine, when I figure out how to transfer them the easiest. If they are decent, I will put them up. I cannot wait to show you my new valley and the mountains around them. Though it is a big valley, 30 to 40 miles north to south, and probably 15 to 20 miles wide, it truly is ringed by mountains, as if some giant fish is about to take the shiny city lure, or several of them. One of the pictures will sort of show you how close I am to the mountains and Logan Valley and Green Canyon. Maybe that should be Logan Canyon too, I will figure it out.

Little else beside the shooting has happened today. Laundry needs washed, the cave needs a little more tidying, and though sorted mostly, a couple of items need to be bought in order to stash the last of the things I brought from the storage unit. Then I can go get more stuff to sort through, though little else will be staying here at the cave. There simply is no more room unless I become very creative. It could happen.

I did hear from a woman who was trying to have me house sit for her and her husband. I indicated that I am here for a year contract, but if the price is right, I would strongly consider figuring out a move. She even indicated that, should a small window of overlap between when her and her husband leave and when I am out of an apartment, we might be able to figure that out. Though this apartment is okay, I would much rather live in my own little place. Someplace cooler and more private and with a garage. I suppose I would just have to phone over to my new friend and pick him up for shooting, fishing, and to get him to the store from time to time. Or, he could stop by on his bike from time to time. Probably both. It is a bit longer of a walk to school, and church, but not that much further. I do not know the costs though. Until I do, I cannot be sure. But if she was going to have grad students stay if I could not, I do not think it would be too much, probably.

More decisions and complications every day. But that seems to be what an active, self-interested, money minded, and directed aspect of life is about. From people, to animals, to fish, everyone is looking for that little niche that they prefer, that they can afford, and which lifts their status that little bit. Though often one takes too much of a bite or pushes too far into the wrong territory without some thinking, sometimes in spite of thinking or even because of it. Life, it seems, is a game of chance in some areas.

I have been looking at a number of hunting devices. I know I want a rifle. Initially I just want a simple hunting rifle, chambered in the .308, along with a good scope. I would also like to have a .50 caliber black powder. And, in no particular order at this time for certain, I would like a bow. Why so many weapons? There are three seasons for deer, sometimes four. If you do not take a deer in one of them, you might have another chance or three. And, as a dedicated hunter, you are guaranteed a license for all three seasons, with the caveats involved with that particular license. As well, having those three to practice with will get me up and into the hunting and shooting community hereabouts in ways that only one or two of them could not. All must wait, however, until money begins trickling back in, old scores are settled, and newer expenses are dealt with. I cannot hunt this year, in any case, so there is no real rush as long as I get what of them I will try to use next year to practice with before I need to hunt. January might be when I get the first of them. Next will be a S & W .500 magnum. There are bears here, and 5 have already been shot for being aggressive.

Before I go too far into the woods, I want a gun I feel confident with and which will put down a bear or a bobcat. Though I think my .45 would do fine on the bobcats, I think it would just anger a bear. The bears around here are black bears, so not quite as wild and wicked as browns or polar bears. They are about my size to, weighing only about 50 pounds more. But they are all animal. Even if I could take one with a knife, I would pay a hefty price. After that, I will feel a little more sure about going off into the wild for bits at a time. I suppose it is the practicality of living wild.

Finally, I have cooled down a bit from the day. I will tinker with the camera and this machine. Tinker on some games if that gets done or I get frustrated, and then try to sleep. I really want to get out fishing early again, soon!