"And the Winner is…"

Last year, before I got a thermometer, I wondered if Daboya was hotter than Phoenix. Now, the data has been gathered and the verdict is in. The envelope please. And the winner is……….DABOYA!! With apologies to my long-suffering friends back in Phoenix, it's not even close. Since entering hot season here (March / April), which compares to summer in Phoenix, my thermometer (mostly in shade) registers 117 -119 routinely with "cool" days still hitting 107-108. We get 117+ in Phoenix but it is rare. Here it is almost daily. Granted, I've seen 122 in Phoenix and nothing over 119 in Daboya but that was once in 30 years and I've only been watching temps in Daboya for a few months. Plus, it's early in the hot season. I'm sure we'll see 120+.

Although I'm hoping to miss it. Mrs. Pearlman raised no fools so, after experiencing hot season last year, I set up a 3 week vacation to S. Africa this year from 3/16 – 4/7. If I'm lucky, rainy season will start early and I'll come back in time for the cool weather.

OK – so let's talk about the "cool" weather. The coldest time here is Dec / Jan (just like Phoenix) when the temp range is 65 – 105 compared to 30 – 75 in Phoenix. So – NO CONTEST – Daboya would win the "fry an egg on the sidewalk" contest….except we have no sidewalks here! In fact, we have no asphalt here. But at least we have eggs here!

Interestingly, it doesn't feel as hot here but I'm sure that's due to relative contrast. In Phoenix I would be writing this in an air conditioned building at maybe 75-85 degrees. Then I would go out into 105. In Daboya, I'm writing this in 119 degree heat and then I will go out into………119. Of course, inside feels more comfortable (I have learned that "comfort" is a relative term!) because of the shade – until nightfall when the radiant heat from the zinc roof makes it hotter inside than out. But the point is, if you're already hot, going out into the "heat" doesn't feel as bad as going from comfortably cool into the heat.

Well, as I've said for 30 years in Phoenix, I may not like heat but I HATE cold so I can't complain too much.

Something occurred to me this week and I thought I should mention it on the blog. The mail service in Ghana, although not terrible, is not necessarily dependable. Therefore, it is entirely possible that a letter you may have sent to me never made it to me or one I sent to you never made it to you. Rest assured, I reply to any letter I get within a week (I have really learned to appreciate letter writing here). It may take another week to get to a post office and then 2-3 weeks to get to you from when it is mailed. Factoring in 3-4 weeks for your letter to have gotten to me, and you should hear back from me within 2 months from when you mailed your letter. Soooooo…. If you sent me a letter more than 2 months ago, it either didn't make it to me or my reply didn't make it to you. Please feel free to write again and we'll hope for better luck.

'Til Next Time..........