![\"nuke](\"https:\/\/c1.staticflickr.com\/1\/363\/19125683606_50e2a0d61f_q.jpg\")
It’s been extremely hot in southern Arizona. Every day we hear about electric power outages in different sections of Tucson. Are these intentional rolling blackouts? Sure looks like it. So far no power interruptions in our hood, but since our air conditioner crapped out last week and we had to spend a night and a day in an oven-like\u00a0house before it was repaired, we feel we’ve paid our dues and won’t feel guilty if the rolling blackouts\u00a0pass us over.<\/p>\n
Along with the heat comes summer monsoon humidity pushed up from Mexico and the Sea of Cortez. This reduces the temperature a few degrees but makes\u00a0being outdoors seem even hotter. Suddenly, it’s no longer a dry heat. I spent\u00a0a full\u00a0day at the air museum yesterday conducting\u00a0walking and tram tours. I think as long as I stay hydrated and avoid actual outdoor work (driving a tram doesn’t count), I’ll survive even this record-setting summer.<\/p>\n
I came home from the museum to find two drowned ground squirrels in the pool. Schatzi used to kill them, but she’s no longer quick enough to chase them down. Instead she harries them until they jump into the pool to escape. At least I think it’s Schatzi.\u00a0It could be the auxiliary dog, Maxie, though I’ve never seen that one\u00a0express much interest in varmints.<\/p>\n
We’re moving money from our financial management account to our checking account\u00a0to pay for the new truck. In this era of instant electronic credit and debit\u00a0transfers, having to wait three or four days for money to move from one financial institution to another feels downright anachronistic.<\/p>\n
In anticipation of the new truck, I sold our light utility trailer and started surfing Craigslist for a larger one. I didn’t think Donna cared about macho truck stuff, but she said our little trailer with it’s sissy twelve-inch wheels would look silly behind our big new truck, and that we needed to get one with fifteen-inch wheels. Thank you, babe …\u00a0big wheels oorah! In case you’re wondering why a retired couple needs a trailer in the first place, it’s to haul the motorcycle on cross-country trips. It offends the motorcycle purist in me, but it’s nice to cross the flat desert in air-conditioned comfort\u00a0with the motorcycle in tow, then break out the bike when we\u00a0get to the mountains or the coast. Best of both worlds, etc.<\/p>\n
Okay, enough personal news. On to something more explosive:<\/p>\n
The Navy reportedly wants to add nuclear bomb-carrying capability<\/a> to its version of the F-35 fighter, the F-35C. The weapon\u00a0mentioned in the linked article is the B-61 gravity nuclear bomb<\/a>, designed in the 1960s and long out of production. For some reason this disturbs me.<\/p>\n
![\"republic229f-84fbombreleasedwg1\"](\"https:\/\/c4.staticflickr.com\/4\/3863\/19145537242_fc091711a6_z.jpg\")
<\/a>