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| Melting |
Arizona’s Summer Thaw is Beginning.
Not just Arizona, but the entire Southwest is under what Royal Norman says is a heat dome. He can talk for minutes giving the technical definitions, explaining how the weather patterns move, and he makes it sound interesting.
But the fact is, it’s so hot now that the icicles have entirely melted from the eaves of our house in Sun City West. I haven’t had to shovel snow off the driveway all week. And it’s not even July yet.
The Saguaro Has A Sunburn
Normally, we don’t worry too much about our cacti (notice that? cacti?) but the meteorologists tell us that Phoenix is on course to set all-time heat records this coming week. That may be true. I’ve noticed that the dust is too worn out to blow around. It’s lying parched from above while any moisture below has been sucked away by the tough desert plants.
Oh, The Pain
Old Charlie is an expert on the northwestern episodes of Bigfoot. He says that you never want to be out camping and hear one yell. It’ll make the hair on your neck stand up.
Well …
When the Arizona summer thaw is well underway and you hear a coyote scream when he’s plunked his fanny down on a hot rock it’s more visceral than that. It’s a stabbing sound that pierces eardrums, turns insides to mush, and melts bones.
The Consequences
Some of our cooler states may not realize the effects of Arizona living. For instance, at the gas station:
You cannot wash your windshield. The water only stays long enough to smear the glass.
It takes longer to pump gas because it evaporates coming out of the hose. (Anyway, it seems like it.)
High temperature seems to lower flash points. At church last Sunday our prayer leader, Muriel, punched a visitor for saying, “It’s a dry heat, though.”
Stay in
Stay cool
Stay hydrated
Stay hydrated
Stay calm – this too shall pass.
And please, stay in touch.
How should we handle the heat? Leave a comment.
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