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It is raining! There is lightning and thunder! It is night and further I have little view of the sky in any case. *sigh* We did have a mild storm roll over us during the last part of the trip today. It was mild and only dropped enough rain to spot the Xterra. We were inside, watching from our seats at Sizzlers. It looks and smells like it has dropped a goodly bit more rain this evening. There is a chance of it from today to Saturday. I am hoping to be awake to go out and enjoy some small cloud burst or other. Though I do like the dry, thunderstorms are some of my favorite things, and rain from it or even minor events is among my favorite things. Well, actually, I like most weather, other than the nothings of high summer. Okay, minus freezing rain and slush, that I can do without.
I slept well, and will sleep again shortly. I have been tinkering with Google Earth. It is a rather powerful tool. I know have the mountains listed, 360 city view activated, trail and trip icons up, and I have figured out how to get directions from my various flagged locations to each other. There is more to learn and do with the program, but I have tinkered enough for tonight. I also wrote an email to the cabin owner asking if he could provide more specific instructions about how to get to the cabin. Though, upon reviewing Google Earth, and what I suspect is the cabin, I now realize why we could not find the cabin. Not only is there a foot bridge to the cabin, there is a little bridge out to the second walk-only wire suspension bridge, a little bit of a cut back drive, or both. It is difficult to get too fine of a view. Still, it would be nice to have good instructions, as I will be driving a rout which will require chains on the tires merely due to the time of the year. That on a sloping, curving, road. I do not want to be going up and down that road in winter, looking for what I cannot seem to find in the summer!
By the way, if you ever find yourself in an arid region for any period of time, I only have one thing to say which may not have been said yet. That is, pickles. Buy them while they are cold. Any time you think you need a refresher, eat a pickle. Any time your breath pipe and mouth are bone dry, drink some juice. If it is the right thing, you will all but have to force yourself to stop sipping. If you like pickles in more wet climates, they will absolutely delight you out here. Good, strong, crisp, dill pickles. And that juice will not go to waste. It wets your whistle clean to the core, and from scalp to toes with a little wiggle in the middle! I ought to get paid by the pickle companies, in congregate, for that little ditty. Bah, I just want people to be healthy, happy, and comfortable, at least from time to time.
I think, if the rain and storms hold, and between the worst of it, I might have to get out fishing again. It has simply been to hot. The weather has a way of beating a guy down into his cave, where he can hide, sulk, play, rest, or anything one can do out of the blazing heat. For August though, as I am used to things, this is not all that bad. My problem is either the lack of humidity or the a/c unit in the cave cause a/c in general not to work as well, or it simply feels like it is not cooling. And, since I am more used to a cave at 66 F, perhaps I even need that, I am a bit out of sync with this arrangement. I have the new a/c, but with all that is going on, I have not yet set it up. And, considering I may be moving, and if that works out, I might simply send it back. Argh! But who knew? I had forgotten about the other house sitting rental and after the first one went from $100 to $1,000 a month, I was not holding much hope for this one when I did get an email about it. Some things simply cannot be planned around. Life is not linear, and opportunity is always a stretch, at least.
Oh, I suppose, it is about bed time again. I think it is much cooler so I might be able to sleep earlier. It sure feels cooler. The roar of the wind, the occasional sound of thunder, the perception of raindrops (which might just as likely be dust bits rather than rain, but it's the idea) also all combine to allow, for me, a restful sleep. And, if it really rains, then floods, I am on the second floor. The noise will not wake me, but it might make the place cooler with an underbreeze. Ha.
From my cave to your house, good night, again. Nope, that is not dirt. It is raining! Yipee! Yipetty Yip Yip Yap!
You may be on to something with those pickles. I polished off the remainder of a jar last night and wanted more.
ReplyDeleteAll I know is I am going to stock up! Every few days, I have descended on them like a wolf on meat. I have tried to be disciplined, since I only had that one jar and forgot more, but, that may change soon. Glad you think that has potential.
ReplyDeleteI bought another jar this afternoon. I never thought of drinking pickle juice, but man does it hit the spot after a hot day in the sun!
ReplyDeleteNow I will need to eat more pickles just to get at the juice.
Or I suppose I could just make pickle juice with vinegar, salt, dill and garlic...
It must be the vinegar that gives the extra boost somehow. I'm not sure how acetic acid relates to dehydration relief, but it's the only ingredient besides salt in any quantity (I doubt the spices are a factor).
Here, and here. It is not an unknown remedy, but I never heard of it before. I learned something new.
ReplyDeleteAnd more:
ReplyDelete"Add apple cider vinegar to your water. Apple cider vinegar in water makes an potassium-rich and alkalizing drink that helps you digest animal protein and lowers your blood sugar."
Potassium is another electrolyte that can be depleted from sweating. I don't know if the vinegar used to make pickles has high potassium like apple cider vinegar does, but that is an interesting statement from that website.
I have known about apple vinegar (and actually any vinegar, though apple and other fruit vinegars taste better generally). Though I mostly use it to 'wet my whistle' more than as a rehydrater (though the two, a 'dry whistle' and dehydration may have more in common than I think, the 'dry whistle being a mild stage of dehydration?). I suspect, at that point, vinegar (and some water to flush it if it was too strong) is the perfect fit solution.
ReplyDeleteAs for pickle juice though, I have been doing that since childhood. My Mom used to pickle cucumbers (and, actually, many things, like apples and pears for Christmas, with red and green dies, off subject, but...). And, at times, there were 9 of us, two parents and seven kids in one of my many family settings. So, pickles were sort of reserved for meals (as were many things, but I liked having a big family a lot, more than any other time in my youth about equal only to the time at my foster home).
So, since I could not have the pickles, and no one noticed the juice, I would pour some into a glass so no one would know, and there it was. Extra pickles, sort of!
I think, at some point, subconsciously or forgotten to me until recently, I or my body realized that pickle juice was not a simple drink. I have drank it (and pickled jalapeno juice too) when I was extra thirsty. I only put it together consciously, or re-invented the notion again, since moving to Logan. With the arid nature of the place. I bought a jar of pickles just as standard extra fair. But noticed when I was really dry, those pickles were very tasty. But I think I figured it out with pickle calamari olives first, then went to the pickles as an even tastier thing.
I did not know it helped with cramps though! I will have to drink that if I wake up with leg cramps again. I have noticed that a strong introduction of salt or salty stuff is a FAST cure for dehydration. In as little as moments, first with the olives and their juice, my headache, cramps (now that I think about it), dizziness, and such just vanished.
Cool. Well, here is to pickles and their juice!