Summary

Kim Zuch documents a week of activities and experiences during a heatwave in the valleys, focusing on outdoor adventures, environmental consciousness, and community involvement.

Abstract

In a week marked by extreme heat, Kim Zuch engages in a variety of outdoor activities, including leading a nature walk and volunteering at a concert series. Despite the sweltering temperatures, she manages to find ways to enjoy the outdoors with her husband, such as mountain biking near South Lake Tahoe. Zuch also takes a step towards sustainability by acquiring a free foaming soap dispenser to reduce plastic bottle usage. Her week is punctuated by a mix of work, leisure, and creativity, as she experiments with soap making and captures her experiences through photography, participating in a PHOTO-A-DAY challenge.

Opinions

Kim Zuch appreciates the cooler mountain temperatures as a respite from the record-breaking heat.
She values environmental efforts, as evidenced by her enthusiasm for the foaming soap dispenser to cut down on plastic waste.
Zuch finds joy and excitement in community events, such as the Saturday night concert series sponsored by the Brewery Arts Center.
She is creative and resourceful, as shown by her attempt at a "landscape" soap design using piping techniques.
Zuch is keen on sharing her life experiences through photography and values the PHOTO-A-DAY challenge as a fun and reflective exercise.

Saturday night concert set-up. Photo by Kim Zuch.

PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE

Trying To Stay Cool in Record-Breaking Heat

Week 6: July 5–11

This week was hot. We’ve had record-breaking heat in the valleys. South Lake Tahoe reached 93ºF. According to the US National Weather Service Reno Nevada’s Facebook page, the last time that happened was 2002.

I spent a lot of time outside this week between work, volunteering, and hanging out in the mountains with my husband.

Foaming soap dispenser. Photo by Kim Zuch.

I found a free foaming soap dispenser listed on Craigslist, so I picked it up Monday after work. My husband likes to use the liquid foaming soap so I thought we could mix our own instead of buying so many plastic bottles.

Teeth marks on a tree from a beaver. Photo by Kim Zuch.

On Tuesday I led a nature walk for a local youth summer camp. I pointed out some “beaver damage” on the cottonwood trees. If you look closely, you can see their teeth marks! We tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. It was a hot day, even at 10:30 in the morning!

I signed up as a volunteer for a Saturday night concert series that’s sponsored by the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City. Our orientation meeting was Wednesday afternoon. I went to the wrong place at first and found an empty room. It looked like it was set up for a meeting, so I was confused. Another volunteer came over and showed me where the meeting was taking place. We got our t-shirts and instructions to show up on Saturday afternoon between 5 and 5:30 p.m.

My car was sitting in the sun. Photo by Kim Zuch.

On Thursday, I had to stop by the Brewery Arts Center to trade my t-shirt in for another because I got the wrong size. I left my car sitting in the sun and when I came back the temperature said 111ºF! It wasn’t really that hot outside, but I had to take a picture.

Time to cool off. Photo by Dave Zuch (author’s husband).

Friday is the only day my husband and I have off together so we usually try to get out and do something fun. We went mountain biking around Fallen Leaf Lake, near South Lake Tahoe. It’s always a little cooler in the mountains, especially in the morning!

1st attempt at piping, and freshly-cut soap. Photos by Kim (and Dave) Zuch.

When we got home Friday afternoon, I decided to try a “landscape” soap design. I wasn’t planning to try piping (I have a hand-me down set), but at the last minute, I changed my mind. If the soap batter sets up enough, it can be piped like cake frosting (you just can’t lick the spoon). The cut soap doesn’t look exactly like what I had in mind, but it’s close — I was imagining an Irish countryside with a castle on a hill and a stormy sky. This will be part of a wedding gift for a friend who recently traveled to Ireland.

I took the lead photo on Saturday afternoon, as we were setting up for the concert. I helped with the merchandise booth, selling t-shirts, CDs, and hats. There were food trucks, two bars, and a lot of people. It was a good crowd, though. Everyone was excited to be there but it wasn’t wild.

Time for coffee! Photo by Kim Zuch. Halloween cup because I hadn’t done the dishes yet.

I didn’t have to work until 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, so I got to sleep in. I don’t use my French press very often because it takes time, but it sounded good. Plus, my husband got yesterday’s leftover coffee so I had to make more anyway.

This has been my week in photographs. Thanks to Dennett for starting this PHOTO-A-DAY challenge. I’ve had fun looking at my daily life, deciding what to share in pictures.

Regular participants include Anne Bonfert, Barbara Radisavljevic, Mia Verita, Susan Alison, Barbara Dalton, Erika Burkhalter, and many more!