This is a rain gauge that I purchased at Target, so I can't vouch for it's accuracy, but just notice that water line. This was a most impressive start to what we Arizonans call "the monsoon season." A wonderful, even scary, storm rolled in yesterday evening. The clouds were all swirly, the wind although mostly from the east was also swirly, and Glen and I felt we were watching a small hurricane from our rockers on the back patio. The palm trees leaned with their fronds blowing straight out like a flag. The jacaranda tree bowed and turned in a wild dance. When the rain came, it fell in angry sheets of water. The Native Americans have different names and genders for Arizona rain storms. The winter storms with their gentle consistency are female, the fast and furious summer storms are male. This one was very macho. Most impressive! The best part about this storm was that it blew in off the rim sans the dust we usually get when it blows in off the desert. We slept in (no need for our usual morning watering routine) and then walked outside to check the damage (surprisingly little) and gloried in a clean day still in the 70's.
Friday, July 11, 2008
July 10 - a great opening act to the monsoon
This is a rain gauge that I purchased at Target, so I can't vouch for it's accuracy, but just notice that water line. This was a most impressive start to what we Arizonans call "the monsoon season." A wonderful, even scary, storm rolled in yesterday evening. The clouds were all swirly, the wind although mostly from the east was also swirly, and Glen and I felt we were watching a small hurricane from our rockers on the back patio. The palm trees leaned with their fronds blowing straight out like a flag. The jacaranda tree bowed and turned in a wild dance. When the rain came, it fell in angry sheets of water. The Native Americans have different names and genders for Arizona rain storms. The winter storms with their gentle consistency are female, the fast and furious summer storms are male. This one was very macho. Most impressive! The best part about this storm was that it blew in off the rim sans the dust we usually get when it blows in off the desert. We slept in (no need for our usual morning watering routine) and then walked outside to check the damage (surprisingly little) and gloried in a clean day still in the 70's.
Sorry we missed it! Sounds very exciting. We REALLY need a storm to clear out the skies up here- they are very hazy from the wildfires in CA or something.
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