Tag: storm

Monsoon, Woo Hoo!!!

Lots of people in the Tucson area have been praying to get a real monsoon storm with lots of rain to fill the underwater aquifer and help restore the Santa Catalina Mountains from the Big Horn Fire damage of last year. The mountains were a dull grey brown from the burned vegetation. They looked shrunken and sad.

But then last Friday they got prolonged hammering of rain over the afternoon and evening (we got 1.03″ in fifteen minutes) and “BOOM” they sprung back to their lush beautiful self.

So God heard the outcry of the desert dwellers and said ‘hold my beer!” and it was fabulous and scary.

Areas of Tucson got hit with heavy rain and super strong winds, and there was even a land spout tornado spotted and photographed. Along with this was some wind damage. Hubby and I remarked that we can water plants, run the sprinkler and the yard will struggle, but one – just one – big monsoon rain will change the dull, dry, brown color to me and God’s favorite color – green.

I caught video of the storm just as it hit us, and it was a deluge. This is looking from my back porch.

Cheers!

-N

 

Thunder alarm clock

It was 5:50 am and I heard what I thought was a truck rumbling by, but that made no sense to me. Millie scratched on the screen door telling me to get my butt up and let her out. Then I heard it again. Was that thunder? Interesting.

Millie went out, and did her thing. I lay back down and started to doze off.

At the screen door scratching around 6:30 I got up to let her back in and realized it was sprinkling. Hallelujah! Rain to start a Tuesday morning. Filled my coffee, grabbed my phone and headed to the back porch to enjoy the rain. Then it really started to rain, a full fledged rain shower. I looked to the north and there was a thick, wide rain shaft with low clouds that appeared to be moving my way.

See me smile and sigh.

Chuck joined me with his coffee and we watched as the storm came near. Then boom! That was close. A few minutes later a brilliant lightning bolt struck very close, like 1/4 mile away with an instant, shocking BOOM! The wind started to pick up testifying the storm was here. The temps dropped fast and we sat enjoying the show as small hail mixed with rain fell.

Abruptly, suddenly, quickly, immediately – pick and adverb – the wind shifted and got stronger, blowing rain and hail straight at us, hail was landing in our laps, tables, chairs and on Millie. We jumped up, gathering our things and hurried inside with Millie leading the way.

It was awesome!

Now, a few hours later it is still over cast with thick clouds, with an occasional sprinkle and the rumble of distant thunder.

What a way to start my morning!

Cheers!

-N

Happy New Year!

Greetings dear readers!!

I sit here with a glass of wine, a plate of cheese and football on the television waiting for 2016. My heart is happy because I have spent the last week with my kids laughing and eating, talking about everything and everyone (insert winking emoticon here,) doing a bit of house hunting for a possible move to the area and visiting extended family in the area.

Oh by the way I am in Texas. Thank God for Petsmart Pet hotel and very observant Catalina AZ neighbors making this possible.

Melissa and I made the trip out by car through Winter Storm Goliath. That was a bad move. I had been watching the forecasts and thought we were going to be following it, but no, it waited for us and hammered us the whole way. We woke up after a middle of the night stop to sleep with a 1/2 inch of ice encasing the car. Between snow, sleet and rain it was slow and steady all the way. The weather has been much better since our arrival.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I do, sort of, they are more like New Year’s ideas for self improvement with no real commitment involved. My personal direction this coming years remains pretty much the same yet there are big things in the works, things that would change my life dramatically. They have nothing to do with joining a gym or similar promises.

Chuck and I are seriously considering a move from Arizona. We want to reduce debt and expenditures by this process. It will make it easier for Chuck to retire and I want that for him. It’s time for the man to stop working so hard. In this process I met a very fun realtor for Century 21 named Brenda Stewart. She is so typically Texan-there are no strangers and everyone gets hugged. I’m really happy that  I am working with her because it is like hanging out with my Texas cousins and they are SO fun.

We have plenty to do to get our place ready to sell and with luck it won’t take long. The best part of this is that my husband will have to clean up the back half of our acre that holds all his stuff. The house is pretty well kept clutter free by me but that back part of the yard where he has years worth of stuff he has brought home before I could stop him now sits collecting pests and is disguised in tall grass. My own personal Sanford and Sons yard.

My daughter, who is great at planning things like this gave me some great ideas about getting it done. Also, her dad will listen to her and not argue like he will with me. I will have her talk to him and send him detailed email instructions so I’m out of the picture except to do my part. This is how we have stayed married for 36 years!

I hope the new year brings great things for all and that plans will be fulfilled to the benefit of all.

Cheers!

-N