Hot. D--m hot.
A good way to describe the Texas summer in the hill country north of Austin. It's not like I haven't experienced hot before. Hot summer in Maryland was 90 degrees with a good amount of humidity. ONce in a while it got a heat wave of upper 90's, but not for long. But here in my new home of Georgetown Texas, it's hot. The summer started early and is going to last longer than this yankee boy is used to for a good many years. It does bring back memories of my younger salad days of being based at Ft. sam Houston, but I was a young guy then with other priorities.
Now as an old retiree and committing to the Georgetown area for the rest of my life, I find it affects many things. Yeah, I know, it's a dry heat. And that really helps. So far, even with the temps approaching the 100 degree mark, I find my self outside, thinking that if this was Maryland, I'd be stewing, but while the sun definatley feels strong on the skin, the breeze makes it nice, especially if you are in the shade. Sitting on a bench on the courthouse square, having a nice ice-cream cone, it's almost pleasant. Last night, watching the 4th of July fireworks, once the sun went down and the breeze was going, it was actually downright pleasant.
I find my choice of carry knives being slowly but surely influenced. I'm not really sure that it's the climate, or just a frame of mind brought on by the climate. I find myself going to a sort of Mediterranean frame of mind. Maybe its the fact that my daily attire is loose well worn cotton shirts with a collar to protect my neck from the sun, light weight nylon cargo shorts, and my trusty Keen or Teva sandals. I don't want to weigh my pockets down, so the lightest per inch pocket knives seem to be getting the favor. My Opinel and Sardinian Resolza are getting s lot of pocket time.
After a forth kidney stone event, my diet is definitely changing to a more vegetarian base with meat as a condiment or treat every few days. There's some great BBQ down here, and I have no intention of depriving myself of it, so I just go easy. The resolza has proven itself a great slicer for those well cooked ribs that are not cut through, and need a little slicing to separate. If the resolza worked for generations of Sardinian shepards and fishermen, it works well for a retired gentleman of leisure in Texas. That it's a very lightweight knife for it's size is sauce on the BBQ.
The same goes for the Opinel. Very light weight for it's size, it works well on BBQ, fruits and vegetables, and carries well in light weight shorts. It something else comes up, trimming back a branch on an overhanging tree or shrub, it does well for that. The number 8 is a bit bulky, and I think I may downsize to a number 7 and do some wood removal on the handle. Or maybe even a number 6, but I'm leery of going too small on an Opinel. Those little fingers of wood under the bolster get a little thin on the smaller ones. Probably okay for getting the wax covering off of a nice smoked Edam or Gouda cheese to have with the chilled white wine. I was perusing the great 'net, and I actually found myself looking at the horn handle Opinel. I know, it's a bit pricey, but at this stage of my life, I'm indulging myself, and I wonder how the horn holds up. So far in the years that I've had my little Resolza from our man in Sardinia, that has held up great. But again, it comes with a background of having generations of Sardinian shepherds, and to hear tell, sometimes bandits, using them with great effect.
So, hot climate, lighter weight knives. I guess we keep on evolving in our life to the changing conditions we live in. Here in the long hot Texas summer, I find myself going to the euro kind of friction folders. I may have to go try a Spanish taramundi yet.
A good way to describe the Texas summer in the hill country north of Austin. It's not like I haven't experienced hot before. Hot summer in Maryland was 90 degrees with a good amount of humidity. ONce in a while it got a heat wave of upper 90's, but not for long. But here in my new home of Georgetown Texas, it's hot. The summer started early and is going to last longer than this yankee boy is used to for a good many years. It does bring back memories of my younger salad days of being based at Ft. sam Houston, but I was a young guy then with other priorities.
Now as an old retiree and committing to the Georgetown area for the rest of my life, I find it affects many things. Yeah, I know, it's a dry heat. And that really helps. So far, even with the temps approaching the 100 degree mark, I find my self outside, thinking that if this was Maryland, I'd be stewing, but while the sun definatley feels strong on the skin, the breeze makes it nice, especially if you are in the shade. Sitting on a bench on the courthouse square, having a nice ice-cream cone, it's almost pleasant. Last night, watching the 4th of July fireworks, once the sun went down and the breeze was going, it was actually downright pleasant.
I find my choice of carry knives being slowly but surely influenced. I'm not really sure that it's the climate, or just a frame of mind brought on by the climate. I find myself going to a sort of Mediterranean frame of mind. Maybe its the fact that my daily attire is loose well worn cotton shirts with a collar to protect my neck from the sun, light weight nylon cargo shorts, and my trusty Keen or Teva sandals. I don't want to weigh my pockets down, so the lightest per inch pocket knives seem to be getting the favor. My Opinel and Sardinian Resolza are getting s lot of pocket time.
After a forth kidney stone event, my diet is definitely changing to a more vegetarian base with meat as a condiment or treat every few days. There's some great BBQ down here, and I have no intention of depriving myself of it, so I just go easy. The resolza has proven itself a great slicer for those well cooked ribs that are not cut through, and need a little slicing to separate. If the resolza worked for generations of Sardinian shepards and fishermen, it works well for a retired gentleman of leisure in Texas. That it's a very lightweight knife for it's size is sauce on the BBQ.
The same goes for the Opinel. Very light weight for it's size, it works well on BBQ, fruits and vegetables, and carries well in light weight shorts. It something else comes up, trimming back a branch on an overhanging tree or shrub, it does well for that. The number 8 is a bit bulky, and I think I may downsize to a number 7 and do some wood removal on the handle. Or maybe even a number 6, but I'm leery of going too small on an Opinel. Those little fingers of wood under the bolster get a little thin on the smaller ones. Probably okay for getting the wax covering off of a nice smoked Edam or Gouda cheese to have with the chilled white wine. I was perusing the great 'net, and I actually found myself looking at the horn handle Opinel. I know, it's a bit pricey, but at this stage of my life, I'm indulging myself, and I wonder how the horn holds up. So far in the years that I've had my little Resolza from our man in Sardinia, that has held up great. But again, it comes with a background of having generations of Sardinian shepherds, and to hear tell, sometimes bandits, using them with great effect.
So, hot climate, lighter weight knives. I guess we keep on evolving in our life to the changing conditions we live in. Here in the long hot Texas summer, I find myself going to the euro kind of friction folders. I may have to go try a Spanish taramundi yet.
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