If you are new to desert life one thing that you may not have encountered yet is the lack of cold or even cool tap water from April to the end of October in the Northern Hemisphere. Please note if you are in the Southern Hemisphere you will have to flip the dates around to match up with your spring to the end of fall. The water going through the ground pipes will usually be a little warmer than the current air temperature outside.
This does affect your cooking in very odd ways. For instance if you are making bread, the tap water might be hot enough to kill off the yeast before you even begin. It might be necessary to add a few ice chips to cool the water down to the proper temperature. Another alternative is to use rapid raising yeast that you mix in with your dry ingredients. Any temperature above 120f will kill the yeast before you have begun.
For pasta being used in salads you might want to prepare by putting about 1/2 gallon of water in the refrigerator the day before. Cook and rinse your pasta as normal. For the final rinse take the water out from the refrigerator and pour over your pasta. This should cool the pasta down enough to make your pasta salad right away.
For hard cooked eggs cook as usual. Drain the eggs, then rinse in the coldest tap water you can get. You will then dump 1/2 of the water out of the pan and add 2 cups of ice cubes. With your hand stir the ice cubes around the eggs. In the beginning the ice will melt very quickly. When the ice stops melting and you just have small pieces of ice, it will be time to start peeling your eggs. You will notice that the egg whites are a bit more pliable than your winter eggs. This is ok, the eggs are fine.
As for clothing you will want to protect your skin from the sun. I would personally recommend blue jeans and long sleeve cotton or linen shirts Women can also wear long dresses or skirts instead of blue jeans. You might think it is counterintuitive to wear long pants or dresses in the summer heat, but please hear me out on this one. The cotton or linen will absorb the sweat and the sun will dry the sweat out fairly quickly. This will create a personal evaporative cooling system. This is very cool. Also with the sun not touching your skin you will also get a feeling of being cooler. This will also protect your skin from harmful rays from the sun that can cause skin cancer with prolonged exposure.
Now for the things you should never wear in the summer and the reason behind it. Polyester and acrylic fibers. Clothing manufacturers claim that they have moisture wicking properties. Their public relations and marketing teams have obviously never worn their products in the desert in the summer heat. Polyester and acrylic do not absorb your sweat. The sweat runs down your body leaving a very smelly odor behind. You may also find yourself with a heat rash because there’s no way for your sweat to dissipate.
Another type of clothing to avoid is shorts and tank tops. In other parts of the world, it’s perfectly acceptable. The sun is not as strong and the humidity is much higher, so it makes sense in those regions. However, in the desert, it’s a good way to get a sunburn, even if you apply sunscreen before you leave the house, sunscreen must be reapplied every few hours. Most people apply sunscreen once in the morning and forget about it. Any where the sun hits your skin will feel hotter for good reason. This applies to all races and colors of skin. We as human beings were not meant to be in the hot sun with so much skin exposed skin. Think blistering sun burns which are a very big warning sign that you have had too much sun. Tanned skin is not healthy skin. Say no to tank tops and shorts.
After swimming it is also a very good idea to dry off and cover up. Wear a wide brim hat with a 3 inch wide brim to protect your skin. If I want to lay out in the summer sun after swimming I personally cover myself head to toe with a heavy towel and a wide brimmed hat. I have been doing that since the mid 1970’s.
It is also very important to stay hydrated. Drink before you are thirsty. Do my gardening or hiking before 9am on most days. Take twice the amount of water that you usually take on a hike. Pay attention to trail conditions. If the trail is closed because of extreme heat please don’t go around the barrier. This is done to protect you not to annoy you. If you absolutely must go for a walk in the middle of the day go to the mall or big box stores and walk inside around the inside perimeter of the store. Since you are already at the store you can do your grocery shopping too.
You will also need to clear any dead trees and other plants from your property. Yes, we have fires in the desert. Even in suburban areas you need a fire break around your house. So no hanging branches touching your house. Check with your local fire department to see what is required.
Please don’t feed the wildlife in and around your home. The bunnies and other babies might look cute. The downside is that they bring Coyotes and Wildcats, because you’ve just fattened up their meal for them. This also puts small pets at risk, so never ever leave your pets outside unsupervised. You may, however, put up feeders for hummingbirds, just be sure you sterilize the feeder every few days. You may also plant a butterfly garden that will attract bees and butterflies and help them on their journeys.
Also talking about wildlife in your area please leave the snakes alone. They are beneficial to our environment. They eat pack rats and other small rodents that do harm to our cars and other wiring. If you happen upon a rattlesnake most local fire departments will remove them safely and relocate them to a more remote location.
Below is a picture of how to deal with hard cooked eggs.
