Geocache was a bust . . .

. . . but the views were nice and I got a really great workout (even if it was only 1.7 miles.) Spoiler alert! We got no where near the cache. (If you are not familiar with Geocaching here's a link: Geocache) We only climbed up about 800 feet but (except for the Garmin gods hiccup) a lot of it was at 100% (45° angle) up to 170% (60° angle) or more incline. The top portion is where we decided to see what was around the other side because the climb was becoming even more difficult. Then we realized that we were nowhere near the initial peak we were supposed to be headed for, less than halfway there. The peak we were on probably went up another 300' and then there was a saw-tooth ridge heading up to the real peak. Didn't look like a safe climb for both of us wearing sneakers and not hiking boots.

Discretion being the better part of valor, we decided to bag it this go around. We never even made it to the 'trail-head' that gets you to the steep part of the real peak.  Going down the other side through a different valley was much easier. I'm going to suggest to the cache owner that he may want to edit his description. 1. Don't attempt if you are not very fit (even my friend had a hard time and he doesn't break into a sweat on our nightly walk.) 2. Carry more than 1.5 L of water, I ran out halfway down. 3. Probably not a good idea to attempt this in the summer months (temp was above 99°F with a heat index of around 130°F, fortunately there was a very brisk wind.) On the way back I even found a better place to park nearer to where shepherds had taken their flocks. It also gives an initial false sense of what peak you are headed for but being a much easier climb it may not be quite as disappointing.

The other 'old man' that I go on my OMWs with.

Very short distance up, that white spot is the F150.

The rock formations were stunning to say the least, wonder if anyone ever stayed in that cave.

I had thought we were headed up just past that peak in the middle. Wrong!

I <3 rocks

This is the 'zoom in' of the next picture. The road we came in via is the line in the tan portion in the upper third of this pic.

Pan out of the previous pic. It was hazy and hot.

View up from the previous picture. Maybe we were halfway, maybe less?

All stones, most sharp, many loose.

Mr. Tan Man

So, my sandal tan is coming along nicely even though I don't do much walking around here in my sandals. When I'm doing my OMW I wear sneakers, partly for the dust & dirt and partly to ensure that I don't step in cat exhaust (which is all over the place.) Working bit by bit on the rest of my tan as well. I had to make a 'cooler' so I could set my phone on it in the shade so it didn't over-heat and shut down as it did once earlier this year. Now it behaves, I get to listen to music and it keeps my timer working so I don't bake too much on either side. 

Weather update

This morning at 7:20 a.m. 29°C, 84% RH; 11:11 a.m. 36°C, 67% RH - huge amount of dust in the air. I've got two 20 pint dehumidifiers in my apartment and I empty each of them three times a day. So they are removing between 4 to 5 gallons every day and still it is way too humid in there. I mopped the floor in the place over the weekend and it took forever to dry. I do not recall Jizan being anywhere near as humid even though it is also on the Red Sea (which is still not red, big disappointment.)

I think that it must be some sort of law over here that if a vehicle does have a sunroof and you have a child then said-child must have their head stuck out the window. This also goes if your rear window rolls down. If you have multiple children then multiple heads are required. IDK

I was promised a comet...

...didn't catch it. 

"All I got was a rock." ~ C. Brown

So, the first night, Sunday, I went out it ended up being overcast somewhat. However, that wasn't the total problem. I went further outside the city on Thursday and even though the light levels were better, no dice. The horizon seems to consist of this sort of hazy-foggy-cloudy mess up to about 15° azimuth that you can't really see through. And since C/2020 F3 NEOWISE sits fairly low on the horizon I couldn't seem to see it at all. Hopefully some of my friends will have taken their opportunities, either before sunrise or after sunset to capture a few shots. Not gonna happen here. (Maybe if I head for the mountains but still not likely.) I really do need to work with this camera more. I ended up getting a tripod for the second night and I did get a couple star shots.

Looks like it should be clear but it's not.

Sun setting over the Red Sea

I don't grok wrok (hint: zoom in on the sign)

What normally happens at intersections

Not really a leaning tower
I just need to practice 
horizon shots more.

The Venue at sunset

The Venue in the evening

Looks a little creepier after dark

Found some fisher-cats down by the shore. (Not the North American weasel variety, just the local variation.) A couple of them were batting at something in the rock crevices. Probably a barnacle that had poked its parts out. Smells like fish I'm sure.

Something smells fishy

Might be something in the water

"I thought I saw something."

Hard to tell but that is one kitten pouncing on another

Cats always seem to have murder in their eyes

What ya eatin'?

Quick update

So, on Sunday (the start of our work week) after catching up with a couple people at their work area I stopped by for my usual OMW perambulation in the evening only to discover that the one guy (and two others on their 'shift') was put on home quarantine for two weeks. Apparently one of the Saudi's in their area tested positive for the 'Rona. Then the next day I found out that two other of the technicians (which I also am in frequent contact with) are home quarantined for two weeks because another person in their area tested positive. Maybe I don't get it but just carry it. A guy I work with told me that Scottish peoples are genetically disposed (now) to be immune to diseases such as the Black Plague, etc. Makes sense as the ones left were the only ones to survive. Maybe I've got good genes.

Here's a link to a 4 minute video of a relaxing portion of my drive to HafH in the afternoon. Nice view of the Red Sea (which oddly enough is not red at all.)

My wife didn't believe me that there is a lima bean tree on the compound but here's the proof.

The 'new normal' (I hate that phrase)

Fruitloop feline femme is BACK! 

So, I have lost 20 lbs thus far since landing. Partly due to my minimalist exercise program (since the weight room was taken off the table) of walking about 3 miles a day and partly due to my lack of desire to cook anything fancy (i.e. takes more than two ingredients) and complete lack of imagination in making anything different. My basic grocery list has not changed much at all since I arrived. Sure does keep things simple. It seems to work.

Two sort of stunning occurrences this week. The last of my aunts passed away, she was the younger of my mother's sisters. Now I have no more living aunts or uncles. I remember as a kid visiting my Aunt Ancy (her name is really Nancy but I didn't know that growing up) and Uncle Norman in northern Vermont. He was really a character and always had a joke or two and Aunt Ancy was always smiling and to me she will be remembered as a happy person. I was glad to catch up with her last summer at my cousin Pat's wedding, she looked good then. She went down quickly in the past few months and was in hospice care at the end so while somewhat sudden and unforeseen this wasn't really unexpected. 

Pat is front center w/ his left arm around his
bride and Aunt Ancy is seated to his right.

The second event was more shocking and sort of hit a little close to home in a small way. My cousin Jim died suddenly just a day or so after our aunt. He was born the same year I was. He is the first of all my many (17) cousins to pass on. I remember visiting them in Connecticut (once) but then many more times after they had moved to Middlebury. But we would only visit either way during good weather since we had to drive up over two gaps in the Vermont hills. Jim was the third eldest of my mother's older sister's children. IMHO he wasn't all that old. 

I don't like the way this movie is going at the moment.

On the bright side (depending on how you look at things) it seems traffic is back to its normal crazy ways now that more people are back to work. I guess there were 4 or so cases of China Flu on base but none that I know of in our building. Oh, and at least the attacks are nowhere near Jeddah ATM. 

So, as I started out, the 'crazy cat lady' has returned to her street corner. I see her every day on my way home. Normalcy at last.

Open ...

... for now? I guess it is official since I did get an email from the U.S. Embassy today (a day late.) KSA seems to be open for (most) businesses, etc. now including Mecca. However, international flights are not taking off yet nor are the borders open. I'll wait 3-5 days for the other shoe to drop. We might just be back to 24 hour curfew, who knows.

I did manage to make it to the 'saloon' today though. No waiting inside and you have to wear a mask - except when you don't.  So, now I feel like a 'real' boy again. I made a joke to the barbers that they must be working around the clock now. After one of them was able to translate the others laughed. Not to bad for  25 SAR ($6.67)

After

Before

The 'saloon'