ArizonaButterfly

I heard that monsoon season has “officially” begun. While it used to be determined by the dew point staying above a certain level for three days in a row, some weather powers-that-be decided to give it a date range instead. All I know is it’s hot, and while usually the feel like temperature is less than the actual temperature, that hasn’t been the case the past few days, no doubt thanks to the dew point and maybe the humidity.

One of my friends says that no one moves to Phoenix for the summer weather.

The biggest problem in the summer is keeping safe in the heat. A friend and I hiked yesterday morning, leaving at 6:30 a.m., and by the time we were coming down 90 minutes later, the temp was already well above 90F. I was amazed by the hiker we passed going shirtless, knowing full well what the sun was going to do to his pasty white chest and back and how quickly it would do it.

Last night I decided to mow because I had something else I wanted to do early this morning. Now, I know that the best time to work outside is the early morning because it really is the coolest time of the day here. Throwing all common sense to the wind, I went out anyway at 5:45 p.m. (after it had cooled off to 105F) to mow. I took lots of water/rest breaks, but still found myself feeling the after-effects today. I won’t be doing it again anytime soon.

All in all, though, I really do enjoy the weather here, even in the summer. It begins to be light out around 5 a.m., and it stays light well past 8 p.m. The hours in the morning are perfect, as I sit out back, reading the paper, drinking coffee, and watching the hummingbirds flit around the flowers and feeder. The dogs wrestle, run, and play with wild abandon until they wake the neighbor’s dogs. The neighbor’s puppy invariably squeezes through their fence to stop by for a drink of water and some love, and all is right for those precious moments of quiet.