Summertime in Arizona
Tomorrow is our first day of 100 degrees, here in the far off kingdom of Arizona.
Apparently the arrival of the ‘first 100” is a local event; like the last frost or the first snowfall back in Michigan. It is not quite a ‘celebration’, but with so little variation in the weather people are starved for meteorological changes.
I am surprised how I am adapting to the heat. It has been in the 90s most of the month. It feels ‘fine’. I drive around with the windows down without AC and don’t feel at all overheated. It feels hot, but the dry heat seems to make it bearable. We haven’t turned on the AC yet. I see we are the last in the neighborhood to do so. The evenings are a bit hot but the pool is still quite chilly. It makes for a goodnight dip . This week they will reverse – the pool will heat up and we’ll cool down the house.
Up till now, the plants in pots have been thriving, but it is ‘fire time’ now. All greens have to be moved into the shade and watered daily. A lot of work but worth it. My Midwest roots are telling me to ‘turn up the gardening’ as it is May but in Arizona it is ‘shut down’ time.
So the heat starts – and the endless string of clear, intensely bright, and bloody hot days that won’t let up until October. Only break in the matters will be in July. Then we’ll get the ‘monsoons’ a local misnomer for the sudden violent downpours. They are quite disappointing for this displaced Midwesterner. I like a dark gray/black sky with lots of thunder. Here it is common to be soaked only to see clear sky on the horizon. What a place.
Apparently the arrival of the ‘first 100” is a local event; like the last frost or the first snowfall back in Michigan. It is not quite a ‘celebration’, but with so little variation in the weather people are starved for meteorological changes.
I am surprised how I am adapting to the heat. It has been in the 90s most of the month. It feels ‘fine’. I drive around with the windows down without AC and don’t feel at all overheated. It feels hot, but the dry heat seems to make it bearable. We haven’t turned on the AC yet. I see we are the last in the neighborhood to do so. The evenings are a bit hot but the pool is still quite chilly. It makes for a goodnight dip . This week they will reverse – the pool will heat up and we’ll cool down the house.
Up till now, the plants in pots have been thriving, but it is ‘fire time’ now. All greens have to be moved into the shade and watered daily. A lot of work but worth it. My Midwest roots are telling me to ‘turn up the gardening’ as it is May but in Arizona it is ‘shut down’ time.
So the heat starts – and the endless string of clear, intensely bright, and bloody hot days that won’t let up until October. Only break in the matters will be in July. Then we’ll get the ‘monsoons’ a local misnomer for the sudden violent downpours. They are quite disappointing for this displaced Midwesterner. I like a dark gray/black sky with lots of thunder. Here it is common to be soaked only to see clear sky on the horizon. What a place.
posted by Ur-spo at 8:28 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home