How Dry I Am

There’s an old song by that name, of course the lyrics have been satirized and we even knew those as kids. We moved from a place with humidity in the 90% range to here and a 20% range. How do I know this? A hygrometer. Yes, for $12 you can find out the heat and humidity in your home. And if you stand two feet from it and look at the numbers the humidity will change because of your breath.

I bought it for the guitar but have been keeping it in the living room to check ambient air, and have recently moved it to the guitar case. When I moved to California, I’d get bronchitis every year around the holidays. It’s mid-August here but like CA’s weather and I can’t get over this ick!

Today I followed an idea of one music instructor, as I have not been able to see my regular guy because he’s been out and now I am. I had some Romaine lettuce and put part of a dry leaf in the case with my new guitar. Not touching the guitar, and I placed the guitar on the kitchen counter for this experiment. So it was level, horizontal and after fifteen minutes the humidity inside the case went from 30% to 45%. Apparently the facility at which they’re built is kept between 74-79 degrees and 45-55% humidity. I put it up later and checked and the interior of the case was at 50%.

Now, to the optimal state of humidity for a human being. If we were to stay where we are at present, perhaps two inexpensive humidifiers would make the air beneficial for us (and not just the guitar) and lessen the probability of disease. If we owned the place, a whole house humidifier would be in order. The opportunity to breathe non-desert air would help our lungs and skin, and I wouldn’t mind re-filling and sanitizing the units.

Right now I’m blowing my nose every few minutes and trying to keep this crud from amassing in my lungs. Nature’s paradise, right. Oh, I’m certain the change in indoor moisture won’t have any bearing on cooking at high altitudes. Think about that when your iPhone tells you you’re at 6,500 feet above sea level.

The fruits and veggies came in early this morning and I’ve a couple grapefruit, zucchini, onions, more grapes, a cucumber and a few mangoes and nectarines. We cooked up the ribeyes tonight and they were delicious. I’ll have to get more next week for guests. Having guests is a love/hate relationship. Hate all the cleaning before they arrive and love them while they’re here and, hopefully, afterward.

At any rate, let’s hope they enjoy the “floor show,” every morning and evening on the deck. The stoat/ermine toys with dog Zoe across the glass. It’s a “Hello mother, hello father, here I am at Camp Granada” moment. Every day, twice a day! Who wouldn’t want that on a visit?

It’s time to take the sniffles to bed. Jim’s still up and it’s late. Cheers, Dee