Forecast

7 Day Forecast. June in the Sonoran Desert. And this is mild! I can *almost* (no, not really), deal with this kind of hot. It's when it gets up to 105 and above that it is totally intolerable. It's like a furnace. and yes, it's really dry. I think the humidity is about 7%. My eyes, nose, throat, skin - dry. Beyond dry. Pedicures are a medical necessity, because something happens to the skin on the bottom of your feet when you live in the desert. It gets like leather, and then cracks. Which hurts like crazy.
There are fire alerts everywhere. No fireworks for the 4th of July, 2nd year in a row.
So I limit my outside time to early morning and after dinner. Because the heat makes me not feel good. I don't know if it's my auto-immune disease, or what. But I'm sapped of energy.

Did I tell you how much I love my air-conditioning? We had to buy an entire new central AC unit; we did it in December. It works great. Glorious. My husband and I have little mini-wars about what to set it on. He likes 75. I think that's a little extreme.

What's it like where you live??

Endless Sunshine

I live in the land of endless sun. I can understand how that would be appealing. The last year we lived in Philadelphia, it rained 18 weekends in a row. 18!

So we moved west, to be near family.

However, here in southern Arizona, it hasn't rained since July. It is November. It is always sunny.

Vomit.

I hate it.

I'm very crabby, and I think I have sunny diseffective disease. Self diagnose.

I want wind, and cold, and frost, and crunchy leaves underfoot - and the fall smell in the air. I do not want to wear sleeveless t-shirts anymore. Or sandals.

Did I mention that it was 89 degrees today - November 10th?

I hate this place.

See that little bunny? He likes it here.

Not me.

From the top of the mountain

Have I ever told you how H O T it is in Tucson? Summer lasts about 6 months. You wouldn't want to see my electric bill. Our central air conditioning has broken twice this summer. I go into complete panic mode until the repairman gets here. How much does it cost? Who cares!

Well, escape from the heat is possible.

Tucson is surrounded by mountains. The biggest one is Mt Lemmon, with an elevation of 9100 feet. You can drive up there. It takes about 1 1/2 hours from my door to the top. You leave the desert at around 105 degrees (at 10am, lol), and start driving. With each elevation marker, you watch the temperature go down. Pretty soon, all the windows are open and you are hanging out the windows. You're in a forest of 200 foot tall pine trees, then aspen groves. It smells spectacular. You bring a picnic, and take a short hike. The temperature hovers in the low 70's. AHHHHHHHH

There a little town, well, you couldn't really call it a town. It's called Summerhaven.

Then you drive up the last little bit to Ski Valley. Yes, there really is a ski resort here. I think it is the southern-most ski resort in the US. And they have the chair lift open year round, for the msot spectacular ride E V E R.

We saw a flock of wild turkeys, with their babies! (didn't get a good picture of them....)

It is so peaceful. Quiet. The wind rustling in the pines. It smells glorious.

Then you get to the very tippy top. Six years ago, there was a fire that burned the mountain. Although the trees are growing back - here is where you can see the most damage, still.

And, it's always good to know that someone is watching out for you......

117 degrees in El Centro, California

We went to the beach over the weekend. The nearest beach in the US (there is a closer one in Mexico, but you now need a passport, and I don't feel very safe in Mexico these days) is in San Diego. Tucson to San Diego is about a 6 hour drive, through some of the most desolate country you will ever see.

There are the Imperial Sand Dunes and the Mexico border fence, which goes on and on for hundreds of miles. The Imperial Valley is between Yuma, Arizona and El Centro, California. Which is below sea level. I'm not sure how many millions of years ago - but this land was under the sea.

We stopped for lunch in El Centro. It was 117 degrees.

Last year coming back from San Diego we saw a haboob - which is a giant dust storm. No Haboob's this time....

Thank Goodness.

Of course, you are rewarded with the glorious beach and Pacific Ocean!

The weekend went way too quickly, of course.

Life in Tucson Arizona

rYesterday morning, (a wonderfully cloudy - very unusual- day) I went outside to take some pictures of new items for my Etsy shop. I looked over at my horses, and all three were watching something. They were on super-alert - horses are prey animals (hunted in the wild), so are very aware that something might be out to get them.

This time, it was a coyote. Coyote's rarely bother the horses, and they are very used to them. I wish I could have grabbed a picture of the 3 of them, with their heads high and ears pricked for danger.

I grabbed my camera, thinking, well, at least I can get a pic of the coyote, who at that point was trotting right through the back of the arena. I dashed down the driveway, and snuck around the side of the garage.

RATS! Coyote was gone, and I terrified my horses! They all scattered and ran!

Once they saw it was only me, they calmed right away.

Silly horses.

Dozer pooped. Dozer always poops. I know the arena looks poopy. We have a giant pooper spreader rake thingy, and my husband does it every week or so. It's due to be done.

It's Summer

Summer in Tucson. It's going to be 105 this weekend. Dry, Hot, Windy, Hot, Dry, did I mention Hot? I may have mentioned in previous posts, we are from Philadelphia. Where it can be hot and nasty humid, but where it's so different than here.

Four years ago, when we first moved here (in JULY), our first house was in a really beautiful development. Lots of houses. Lots of kids. Right? I sent my kids out on their bikes - to the school playgound nearby. They were 9 and 11 at the time. They came back kind of soon. NO kids anywhere. And absurdly hot. Back home, no matter how hot and icky, you could ride your bikes around the neighborhood and meet up with tons of kids. There were kids everywhere. Not here, not outside. Know why? It's too HOT. Isn't that insane? So we were here for a month or so, that first summer, and my kids never saw another kid. Back in Philly, you could ride your bikes all over the place. Then stop at Joe's market (neighborhood market) for ice cream, or penny candy. Yep, even today. Then ride your bike to the township pool, which everybody joined for the summer. Not here, most people have their own pools. If you want to take swimming lessons, you can sign up at the township pool, but nobody goes there just to hang out.

It's weird to me. Strange. Even after four years here. I don't even know most of my neighbors. I think we all feel sort of ... isolated? Lonely. And Hot.