Six+ years ago my wife and I moved to PHX from DEN. One day my wife, and visiting daughter, were on their way to go shopping. As they walked by my desk, to the garage, I said -- I'm going to write a poem. They looked at me like I had lost it!

For several years, whenever I heard the frequently used term -- *The Valley Of The Sun*, It always sounded like the title of a poem, or story. When my wife and daughter returned from shopping I presented them with this composition.

It's now been 6yrs and 2mos since we arrived here. My wife of 56+yrs, my best and oldest friend, who had just moved from DEN to TUC, have both passed away, and, due to health issues, I've had to give up my 50+yr hobby of riding motorcycles(63). I'm 83 now and the lights are starting to dim! A friend's father, who passed away a couple yrs ago told me several times -- "Bruce, getting old isn't for sissies"! 

https://1drv.ms/w/s!As2fh2Zk--gpjBELUjXExN8SknXT?e=3ujuSn

It's not the Valley of the Sun...it's the Valley ON the Sun!!  Toooooooooo dang hot!  😜

Yeah, Bob, it's hot from May thru mid October, but it beats broken trees, busted up streets, pot holes, sunken manhole covers and 6mos of smoggy winter. 😉

Here's last years stats ---

                                2020 Days of 100deg, or Higher, Temps

April            5
May             14 
June            25
July            30
August          30
September       25
October         11
              ______
Total          140 (38.4% of the year)

* 38 days were 110 or higher

* Highest temp was 117 on July 30th

Hey, Bruce...any big dust storms or monsoons going through Phoenix these days?  I know Tucson gets 'em.☔

 

 

Haven't had a real monsoon season in several years, Charlie! No dust storms in the NW Valley either. Just heat and very little rain!\

Bruce

35 minutes ago, brucets said:

Haven't had a real monsoon season in several years, Charlie! No dust storms in the NW Valley either. Just heat and very little rain!\

Bruce

Now it's starting to sound like California!  Warm and dry!  Hoping for a cold, wet winter!

I think the entire Southwest is experiencing this climate change.

We didn't have a winter in SE New Mexico.  One day we had a skiff of snow that was gone by noon.  It seems Fall just merged into Spring.  We haven't had a real summer either.  Just one day when the temperature reached 100 degrees.  We were in the nineties all summer with lows in the 60s.  And no monsoon.  Last Spring we had a couple of days of tropical type rain, more than I had ever seen here at one time.  But nothing since except a couple of thunderstorms but no monsoon.

For the next ten days our highs will range from 75 to 90 and lows in the mid 50s.

We are in a drought but no water restrictions.  But the Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge just east of town is dry as a bone.  The years of thousands of snow geese and sandhill cranes migrating in are gone.  There is no habitat for them here anymore.  No water in any of the ponds or impoundments.

Noel

 

3 hours ago, brucets said:

Yeah, Bob, it's hot from May thru mid October, but it beats broken trees, busted up streets, pot holes, sunken manhole covers and 6mos of smoggy winter. 😉

Here's last years stats ---

                                2020 Days of 100deg, or Higher, Temps

April            5
May             14 
June            25
July            30
August          30
September       25
October         11
              ______
Total          140 (38.4% of the year)

* 38 days were 110 or higher

* Highest temp was 117 on July 30th

I lived in Tucson for 20 years and it was too hot for me. Even having been born in and growing up in that climate, I never enjoyed it and wanted to live somewhere with 4 seasons.

I live in Dallas now which is slightly cooler but way more humid. Frankly I don’t know which is worse, the feeling of burning in 110 degrees or going out in a 95 degree humid sauna and sweating. Either is not really enjoyable but at least in Dallas I get four seasons, some snow and cold winters.

Although I do miss the mountains since Dallas is flat as a pancake.

Tucson is about 1400ft higher than Sun City West, where I live. It's cooler in the summer and colder in the winter and gets a bit of snow. It also seems to get much more rain. I've also lived in Denver, Georgetown, TX, South FL, Central FL, Western NC and Louisville, KY. I doubt there is a perfect climate and those are about as good as it gets!

If you're sweltering in Phoenix drive up to Flagstaff for the weekend and cool off.

I used to love hot weather.  I got used to it when I was in the Marines and stationed at Twentynine Palms.  I learned to love it.

Until recently Betty and I used to stop for a couple days in Death Valley on our trips to California.  Hiking in 110 degree weather.  Just remember to to keep the hikes shorts (two or three miles), wear light, loose fitting clothes (long sleeve shirts), a Tilley Hat, and take plenty of water and rest and drink often...at least a quart an hour.  It's a beautiful place if you don't let it make you miserable.

I'll take 110 degrees and 20% or less humidity than 90 degrees and 90% humidity any day.

Noel  (the desert rat)

I can live with the heat here. I plan all grocery and doctor trips in the morning. I have my thermostat set at 81 and when I come in from outdoors it feels cool. I do happy hour(s) on the patio each night about 6pm when it's 105 or less. Not too bad. I'm not driving to Flagstaff on NASCAR I-17!

When I was riding my motorcycles I rode to Prescott, Jerome, Bagdad, Payson and other places where the elevation was 5000ft or so. Now I don't go anywhere. 

BTW, Noel, I did a couple USMCR summer camps at 29 Palms, shooting 155's. I drove a 6by hauling a gun and crew. 

marine corps 6 by truck and 155 howitzer - Bing images

Bruce

When I was there Bruce they were 105mm Howitzers.  I was out at the bomb dump most of the time as an EOD guy.  I recall the time they halted firing exercises for a couple of weeks after lobbing three shells right onto the Amboy highway.  

I really liked Twentynine Palms.

One Sunday afternoon three of us drove into Palm Springs because we had nothing better to do.  We went into the Chi-Chi Club I think and sat at a table and ordered some beers.  We were the only ones there except for some guy at the bar talking to the bar tender.

A while later the waiter came back with three more beers and said, "Compliments of Mister Sinatra."  He was the guy at the bar.  A few minutes after that he left but he stopped at our table and we talked for a couple of minutes.

Some week-ends when we had nothing better to do we'd get a couple of empty fuse cans and hunt sidewinders.  After we had caught a half dozen or so we just let them go.  We usually fund them under rocks or ledges or brush in the heat of the afternoon.  Sometimes we'd find a big desert tortoise.

Noel

Great story, Noel! Sinatra, catching snakes and shelling a highway!! That's funny! Wonder what the FDC had to say about that!

Semper Fi!

Bruce

Lettuce, oranges, almonds, grapes, strawberries, peaches, dairy products, are some of the California food stuffs which feed America. A long drought could reduce supplies.

Contrary to reputation, agriculture is by far California's largest money making industry. Not silicon valley electronics or Hollywood  motion pictures.

7 hours ago, Fielder said:

Lettuce, oranges, almonds, grapes, strawberries, peaches, dairy products, are some of the California food stuffs which feed America. A long drought could reduce supplies.

Contrary to reputation, agriculture is by far California's largest money making industry. Not silicon valley electronics or Hollywood  motion pictures.

Everyone should visit the Central Valley. I doubt there is anything like it anywhere.

 

Bill W.