So working outside today has been exactly as hot as you’d expect a southwestern summer to be. Early afternoon, full sun in the desert. The air inside this stagnant upside down glass dome feels just like the process of convection from the other side of the oven door. I couldn’t see the vultures circling high above me but I knew they were there.

I mean I was wearing all the proper shiznit of course. Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses. I was protected, as much as I could be, from the sun – which was pumping out almost comically insane amounts of the bad kinds of radiation.

Still though that kind of heat helps foster a perfect mental environment for some thoughts that feel a bit different than the ones we’re used to having when we’re at normal operating temperature. For example most of my day has been a mix of mowing and hoofing medium sized rocks around in a wheelbarrow, repositioning some of my fire rings. Generally speaking I get a lot of work done when I just commit to the heat. A layer of sweat mixed with Banana Boat Ultra Sport Sunscreen (not a sponsor) directly against my skin, covered with an upper finishing layer of sweat mixed with dirt. It’s an outfit that I can commit to wearing from a couple hours after sunrise to a couple hours before sundown. No sweat. Metaphorically.

At least no sweat once I got past the irritation of flies CONSTANTLY at my freakin’ face, man. I mean what is it about me? What is it about this garbage skin that causes flies to look at it like junk food? My hat and upper shirt and my neck are soaked in Off! Deep Woods Sportsmen (also not a sponsor) and still this is the first place they go? The flies that hover right in front of the eyes are plenty bad enough but eventually their goal became my nose – my nostrils, actually! And if I’m not going to be vague about it, the depths of the insides of my open nostrils.

It started me thinking when you hear about a corpse that’s been found in the woods, and even when the body is fresh it’s the orifices in the body that rot first because they’re the prime target for insects to lay their eggs. Orifices, man. Like the nose. And just when I decided to head back to the house for my bigger hat with the attached bug screen I realized that by some stroke of divine intervention the flies seemed to have laid off.

And all at once I was standing there enjoying a few moments outside without having to swat at my face like a madman. I noticed that I could partially see inside my meditation area from the outside of its juniper tree border. From this angle and distance, between the open spaces of the branches I could see the top of the bird bath I had filled just last night. A small gray bird of some kind was standing on the edge of the bowl dipping up and down without pause.

I totally sympathized with the little thing and I hoped it felt secure enough to hang out as long as he needed to fill up. As my attention widened to the area around the bird I realized that the intense sunlight had basically washed out the visual detail of the juniper trees on the outside of The Council. It was so bright and void that the shadows inside were underexposed. It looked like the inside of a heavily shaded courtyard, but like the kind of courtyard you see in old grainy black and white movies. Attractively eerie.

Anyway, I’m sorry that there isn’t a more logical ending to this post. I remember when I saw No Country for Old Men. Brilliant movie until the complete lack of payoff or resolution of any kind whatsoever at the end. If you’ve never seen the movie don’t worry – that’s not a spoiler. If anything it’s an emotional cushion that you’re going to need to help soften the blow you feel when the credits start to roll. And yes I realize sometimes that’s life and we don’t always get the endings we want but still, I sympathize with the feeling.

Until next time we remain…

Your hosts,

Clifford the Crusty and Sandy the “Currently Napping In The Shade”

#StayHydratedAndStoned
#Or don’t
#I’m not your boss

#dudeism