Our First Desert SummerThe desert southwest lived up to its reputation as we experienced our first blast of "
dry heat" as Arizona residents. Being from Missouri, I can tell you there's a genuine difference between humid heat and dry heat.
There's a discomfort factor with the "
Midwest Muggies" that you don't feel in Arizona. However, when the mercury rises to over 110 degrees, its oppressive no matter where you are.
Fortunately, there's an escape from the heat not too far away. The home of the
oldest rodeo in the US, Prescott, AZ, is just about an hour north of us. Resting at 5,400 feet above sea level it's usually about 20 degrees cooler up there. Pressing on for another hour to
Flagstaff, you'll find a pleasant mountain climate at 7,000 feet high.
Another new experience for us was the
American Monsoon Season. There's a phrase I grew up with that describes a short burst of heavy rain, called a "
gulley washer". This is a very fitting term for how monsoon rains happen in the desert. Fast, powerful, and in buckets, when the rains fall it moves tons of earth with it, leaving washouts and debris all over the place. The reward is a break in the heat, colorful desert blooms, and replenished reservoirs.
