Fair Weather Has a Unique Meaning in Paso Robles

Fair Weather In July

The most common usage of the term "fair weather" is as the opposite of "foul weather." According to the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, fair weather is 'FINE, dry, bright, clear, sunny, cloudless, warm, balmy, clement, benign, pleasant.'  Here in Paso Robles, though, locals have their own interpretation of "fair weather."

It seems that very year in July when the California Mid-State Fair comes to Paso Robles it is very, very hot. This week, for example, with the fair in town, we've had triple digit temperatures that are expected to last most of the week before dropping to the nineties. That's what I call fair weather.

I took the photo tonight at 8:30. The temperature was still 85 degrees when I went to get the mail. As I walked back home and looked south, those clouds looked like layers of heat to me.

I can't handle hot weather, so I rarely get to the fair. I understand that the air conditioning went out in at least one of the buildings yesterday -- the one a friend of mine was working in. She said they had to depend on fans to fight the oppressive heat.

Murder at the Mid-State Fair

Did you know that Earlene Fowler wrote a murder mystery set at the Mid-State Fair? She is one of my favorite authors because most of her Benni Harper mysteries are set here in San Luis Obispo County. I love her characters and I enjoy being able to visualize the places mentioned in the books -- even though the author disguises the place names a bit. For example, San Luis Obispo is referred to as San Celina. Any local will find it easy to figure out the settings, and some, like Paso Robles and Morro Bay aren't disguised. Read my review of State Fair here.   Why not pick up a copy at the library while the fair is happening? Or pick it up at Amazon.

Had a Cool Late Afternoon Doing Errands in San Luis Obispo

MacSuperstore

When it's hot, I try to find an errand to do in San Luis Obsipo. Today I had a great excuse to go. I had to pick up my computer from the MacSuperstore. They were very good to me, as they always are. One of the tech people spent close to an hour with me,  so I'd be sure the problems I'd been concerned about were solved. He also reinstalled all the programs that had been on the old hard drive that were not yet on the new one. As a finishing touch he installed a free malware program. Then he helped me pack up the computer and he carried it to the car.

Costco

As soon as I got back into the car we headed across the highway to Costco to get gas and shop. From the parking lot we had clear views of the hills that surround Costco and the Target Center.   I snapped the photos while  Hubby was getting out of the car. It was cool enough in San Luis Obispo today that people actually might have enjoyed hiking the trails in those Irish Hills. We didn't have time, and needed to finish our shopping and get home.

Below you can see the hills south of the MacSuperstore and the Target Center. The hills look closer than they are. You have to walk about two blocks to get to Los Osos Valley Road, the main highway  to Los Osos. Were you to cross it, you would be headed for more parking lots and businesses located in the Target Center. The hills really wrap around the city. These photos  were both taken from the Costco parking lot, but from different directions. 

One thing I love about San Luis Obispo County is that I can almost always see a mountain or a tall tree. I grew up in a flat place in Southern California. I never realized what I was missing when I was growing up, since I rarely left our small town. San Luis Obispo County has it all -- mountains, trees, and the ocean. 

 This was a great day to be in San Luis Obispo. When we left Paso Robles this afternoon at five o'clock, it had been 105 degrees. When we got to San Luis Obispo, it was in the seventies. When we got home again at 8:30, it was in the high eighties. We were able to escape the heat and turn off the air conditioning at home at the hottest time in our house. When we got home,  we could open the windows and get the inside temperature back down to the high seventies. I wish I had time to escape again tomorrow, but I'll be setting up my iMac and getting used to it again after using a PC almost exclusively for months.  

What terrain to you prefer to live in (or on)? Do you like your land mountainous or flat? What do you do to beat the heat?

Beautiful Sky Welcomes Coolness after a Hot Day

It was hot today in Paso Robles -- 102 degrees. It was hotter yesterday and stayed hot at night. So I was pleasantly surprised to walk out to my car about 6:30 and feel a cool breeze.

 When I was ready to leave for the gym a short while later, I walked out to see this moon surrounded by pink clouds. It's supposed to stay cool tonight and only be in the eighties tomorrow before turning hot again for the first day of autumn. Fortunately, the night temperatures are supposed to remain in the fifties all week. It's wonderful to be able to turn off the air conditioning at night and remain comfortable by opening the windows. Right now I'm in front of an open window with a cool wind blowing on me.

I love the sky views we have here in the North County. I'm definitely a sky watcher. Are you? Here are some of my other sky shots.  There are more sky photos here.

I Hope This Moon Means a Change in Weather Today

I'm tired of triple digit temperatures. The weather man predicts it will be a few degrees cooler today. I hope last night's moon is a sign it will be. I took this picture from the library parking lot at about 8 PM.

I'm hoping for a cooler temperature because I have to be outside for part of today. I wilt in the heat. I have a meeting at Larry Moore Park between 9 and 11 AM. I also want to go to the home and garden expo at the Events Center in the afternoon. I don't think I will be able to  be outside in triple digits. I might be able to handle the predicted 94 degrees, but not for long. I hope the morning will be cooler.

Here is a closer view of the moon. Click any photo to enlarge it.

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Another Funny Sign

The Templeton Farmers Market has much more than produce. Many non-food local businesses come there to find new contacts. One that is rather fun to watch is the Canine Tutors. As I was walking away from the market one day, I saw its van parked on the street, and I could not resist taking this picture. I thought the message on the top of the windshield was funny.

Sign at top of windshield says, "Sorry, we don't train husbands, wives, or kids."

Canine Tutor and pupil taking a break in the shade.

This picture was taken on a very hot day. The canine tutor usually shows how he has trained his own dog on these days and the dog does tricks. But as I was about to leave,  I caught them both taking a break in the shade. In the background you can see, some of the produce vendors. You can click either photo to make it larger.

 Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog Dog Training: Strategic Dog Training Tips For A Well-Trained, Obedient, and Happy Dog (Dog Training Books Book 1)

My Greens are Bolting and Making Flowers.

It's been hot this last week, but today we hit the triple digits and it appears the rest of the week will be as bad. This heat has caused my chard and kale to bolt. I thought you might like to see my kale flowering. It is said that one can eat the flowers and they taste like broccoli. I'll have to try it. 

Here's a larger picture. The kale pale yellow kale flowers aren't as high as they appear to be in this photo. I was holding the camera at an angle that makes them look taller than they are. In the distance you can see what's left of my pink hollyhock and the purple hyssop. The clary sage is in bloom in front of the brick pillar and juniper. The yellow flowers are calendula. 

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