refuge from the heat
Posted by Zonie on April 14, 2024 at 03:47:53
It seems like another April in which we're going straight from winter to summer. We had our first reading of 95°F in Phoenix yesterday afternoon. The patio at Pete's Fish and Chips went from using the infrared tube heater Monday night to using the mister system today.
I went to the state trust land anyway, knowing that if all the other mud holes had evaporated, Coyote Central would still be there. I was pleasantly surprised. There was a mud hole big enough to soak me right near the road. I got muddy and wet right at the start of my hike.
I headed east, and most of the puddles had dried, but I found a creamy rut on the side of the power line trail. I slid in it, rolled in it, worked it all through my overalls and shirt and relaxed in it for quite some time. It was a great refuge from the heat and it felt truly wonderful. The thick heavy mud was a great shield. As I relaxed I heard dirt bikes and gunfire in the distance. There were definitely other people enjoying the area.
I marched through it one last time, but there was a pain in my left foot that was too severe to be mere gravel. I sat down and emptied my left jungle boot. The boot was clear, but a piece of metal had somehow worked its way in and lodged in my sock. Having removed that, I got my surprisingly clean sock back in the boot and laced it up. I have to remind myself that I'm not in pristine nature and that there's sometimes some unusual litter.
I headed southeast and was starting to give up on finding another mud hole, but as I was considering doubling back, I came to a puddle that was still almost knee deep and still refreshingly cool despite being in the sun all day. The heavy mud from the creamy rut had largely flaked off, so I soaked myself again in that puddle. I then headed towards Coyote Central. There were a few minor puddles on the way, but most had dried.
I saw a fellow there I had seen last week. He was near a pickup truck and seemed to be picking up litter. Maybe this was the Brandon that other fellow told me about, but he seemed well-dressed for a homeless person.
I turned back and got back home before sundown. I was able to have a good hose-down in the back yard followed by a swim.