When I grew up and lived in Colorado, the summer would get hot!  Temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  When it got that hot, we kids would head to the swimming pool or to the public library that had air conditioning to wait out the hottest part of the day.  There was the usual mowing, riding bikes and playing football outside too.  Sunscreen was sometimes used, but not often and the first sunburn of the year was a right of passage to darker, more tolerant skin!

Here in the tropics, we live closer to the equator.  The temperatures are warmer and the sun is almost always present.  We were once the tourists that would get sunburned, and now that we live here we are a little smarter and notice the tourists that get sunburned.  We have also seen the impacts of sun exposure and cases of skin damage and cancer here.  Of course it makes sense that the sun is intense here, but we were always under the impression that due to the altitude and less atmosphere to travel thru, the sun’s rays were more intense in Colorado.  That simply isn’t the case.

The UV index is now something we are very aware of.  It is a standard measurement of the strength of sunburn-producing ultraviolet (UV) radiation.  It is kind of shocking how much more extreme the sun is in Puerto Rico than it was in Colorado.

Today in PR it is kind of low-ish at 11 (lol).  Some days it is 13!! At that level you will get sunburn in as little as 5 minutes of exposure.  When it is that high, the advisory is to simply avoid the sun..  When the UV index was originally developed, it was designed from 1-10.

When I check back to Colorado it is almost always half the value!  Also of note that with a reflective surface like water it can double the value, so if a person was out on the water today it could be as high as 22!  Or on even more extreme days 26.  When the UV is that intense you are immediately damaging your unprotected skin.

As if this wasn’t enough, I have also noticed how insanely hot it is to work outside.  Another standardized value system, the heat index was created to show the human-perceived temperature combining relative humidity and SHADE temperature.  I’ve seen it around 102 degrees and every once in a while at around 107.  Like the UV index, this value can vary drastically when if say someone is in the sun, then it can reach 150+ degrees.

The summer time here gets intense!  It is kind of jaw dropping but talking about it and reading about it doesn’t have the same impact as feeling it for oneself.   I think for me September is the most brutal month.  The plants LOVE it and that increases the workload, but things are so green and beautiful too!  If you miss a week or two the workload only increases so it is important to stay on top of things, or the weeds, grasses and trees get waaayyy out of control quickly setting you back on all the hard work of gardening.

The Sun’s arch and rays in September in Rincon (almost directly overhead)

The Sun’s arch and rays in Sept in Colorado (notice the difference in angle!)

I recently had a reminder to start work early and be done by 9am.  I had been starting at 9am and working till noon.  A person just can’t drink enough water to keep up.  Literally sweat pours out the sweat glands like I’ve not ever experienced in my life.  Again talking about these things and actually experiencing them is a whole different thing!!  I hope I have learned my lesson, but I am pretty aggressive towards goals I’ve set in my mind and will push myself too far.  I think this “can do” attitude is something Cassie and I both share and it serves us well, as long as we don’t take it too far…..  Knowing when that is can be difficult when you want something done!
Cassie mowin’


Britton Mowin’

And again to recap.  While the Sun’s UV in Colorado is offically “high” and care should be taken, it isn’t “extreme” like in Puerto Rico.  EXTREME which is a good description!  As too is the humidity in Puerto Rico (80%+) vs Colorado (15%) which makes that heat index EXTREME!  I am really looking forward to wintertime here in PR.  Less work, perfect humidity and the sun is further south!