A Dry Heat

It’s going to be tough to get the house temperature down this morning. Outside, it was 75° at 4 AM and 82° inside. No amount of fans will overcome that kind of a head start. As usual, I look at the weather for Scottsdale AZ and once again, our temperatures are similar. Odd? They have a higher humidity than our forecast for today. I have always been told that Arizona enjoyed a “dry heat”… (Maybe 'enjoyed' is the wrong word to use)

I’m going to be looking for a food mill in the next few days. With the great number of cherry tomatoes now ripening, I need to utilize them in sauces and paste. I would bet that I gave away 3 pounds of those tomatoes last night when we went out to dinner with friends. The Sweet 100’s tomato plants are like a machine…the tomatoes just keep coming!

I had one of those humbling moments yesterday. Every once in awhile I work for a couple of hours at the local food pantry where we give out boxes and bags of donated food. A guy came in yesterday and asked for some food and we talked for a little bit. It turns out that he normally lives under the bridge on old Highway 99, just north of town; where Stoney Creek crosses under the highway. (CHP and Fish and Game are OK with his being there. He’s approved!) Anyway, there was cigarette caused fire near the bridge the other day and the fire moved from the side of the road and down through the bamboo that surrounded his ‘home’. He was able to get his belongings, a tent, bicycle and sleeping bag, out of the way of the fire, but now he has to find another spot to stay. Oh, yes…he has lived there for 4 years now. Yes, he gets food stamps. But since that doesn’t include ice for his cooler, he’s somewhat limited as to what he can use the stamps for.

OK; don’t tell me how he should clean up his act and get a job. What would his address be on his job application form? And maybe; just maybe – he’s mentally ill? Wouldn’t it be a ‘wonderful world’ if we were all perfect? Well, we aren’t and some of us need help. And helping one another…isn’t that what being human is all about?