The beauty and serenity of a desert sunset tends to recompense for any hardships incurred during the day's work

It must still be 80 degrees F, so I won't be putting the outer shell on the tent tonight. I'm hoping that enough heat will eventually dissipate through the screen of the tent's roof for it to cool down after midnight.

Supper is add-boiling-water-to-bag Mountain House Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice. Tasty as always, but I have to eat slowly because I've been a bit nauseous off and on today from the heat and exertion. I probably shouldn't be eating anything hot right now.

Kelso is only two miles down the road, and I can see the lights of town, and even hear the barking of someone's dog and occasional music from the quiet of my campsite. It feels comfortable here, yet remote, with no sign of people coming here often, probably due to the bad road.

Occasional evening winds provide noise and touch me as they filter through my tent screens, but they bring no coolness. A loud trilling, gurgling sound quite near my tent plays non-stop for several minutes at dusk; I wonder if it is a bird or a reptile.

I've hardly seen any flies this evening. However, a few moths come out late to flit against my tent, foiled in their aspirations of getting closer to the flashlight lantern hanging inside my tent from the roof.

As is often the case on the first day of one of my trips, I'm completely exhausted. I've not recovered yet from the heat exhaustion earlier today and have a few minor cramps in my legs and arms. The steering on my bicycle, even though I ride it daily, isn't usually weighted down with saddlebags.

I want to write an entry in my journal about today's events, but am too tired to focus or think. I'm so sleepy that I feel like I will die comfortably rather than just fall asleep tonight.

But fall asleep I do, on my sleeping bag, naked, but not in it due to the heat. I am reminded that I'm actually still alive when I wake up for a moment around 3h to crawl into the sleeping bag due to some cooler air.

I'm reminded again that I'm still alive as soon as some sun shines on my tent after sunrise.