Sizzling.

 I think you can flip New Jersey over - this side is done.

We are entering a three day period (Monday thru Wednesday) of excessive heat with temperatures above 100 F (38C) and heat indices of 105-100 F (40 -43C). Yesterday only reached into the 90s, but the humidity was out of sight, causing it to feel much, much warmer.

Of course, W2LJ lives in the "purple".

The morning actually started out cool and we had most of our windows open for fresh air. Around 11:30 AM or so, a thunderstorm rolled through and all I can say is "Wow!". I had dozed off on the couch in the rec room and even then, I saw a flash with my eyes closed. The resulting thunderclap seemed to last for minutes and the house shook and vibrated. If there was no storm, I would have sworn we had experienced an earthquake, that's how much the house vibrated.

After the storm went through the heat began to build up again. By the time dinner time came around, it was almost unbearable to go outside to cook on the grill.  Sleeping was not so great last night. We have central AC, but it's older so it's not zoned. The downstairs stays decently cool, but the upstairs can get stuffy.

When I was a kid, the heat didn't bother me as much. I grew up in a house without air conditioning. In fact, I much preferred Summer to the Winter. I still do, but the heat gets to me much more quickly now. I guess that's just a consequence of growing old. My ideal would be anywhere from 65 F to 80 F year around. Like that's gonna happen!

That being said, Field Day preps have begin for me. I made sure all my batteries are charged up for next weekend. I actually have enough "juice" for a week's worth of operating at 5 Watts between a lithium and two SLA batteries. I also have my two little "blue bricks" that  I use for portable ops like FOBB and the Skeeter Hunt. I should be in good stead.

Speaking of the Skeeter Hunt, we've had 113 people sign up for Skeeter Hunt numbers over the weekend. That warmed the cockles of my heart. I'm hoping that by the day before the Hunt, we will have some 200+ people signed up. The more, the merrier!

The VE Session at the W2QW Hamfest on Saturday went well. I was expecting four candidates. One cancelled late Friday night and there was one "no show". Two were successful - one brand new Tech and one upgrade to General. The weather was nice with no breeze. The breeze was probably wished for by the flea market attendees, but I welcomed the calmness as it made for no blowing away of paperwork. Such are the hazards of an outdoor VE Session.

After the exams were over, I left. I had been there since 5:00 AM helping to direct vendors to their spots. I still had the grocery shopping to do and there's nothing that I really need, Ham Radio-wise, so I bid my good-byes and got on with my day.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!