Sunday, January 24, 2021

IS THIS REALLY ARIZONA?

 The traditional view of Arizona is desert, cacti, rattlesnakes, sand, and the like.

Not this.


But Arizona is a land of many contrasts, from vast cities hovering at 900 feet above sea level where the temperature climbs into the 100's for summer days on end, to the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the United States and mountains topping out at nearly 13,000 feet.

And yes here in the higher parts of the state we do get snow.


Where my neighbor's car sits encrusted with snow there's a nice contrast to his still-hanging Christmas lights.


And across the street is that little pine tree another neighbor planted many years ago, now all grown up.

(And up and up and up.)


The boughs seem to be sagging a bit under the weight of what a disc jockey I once knew used to call "celestial dandruff".

Here's a close-up to show you how wet and thus heavy that snow came to us.


We here in the Central Highlands are predicted to get more snow in the next day or two and then the temperatures will rise and it will begin melting off, gone away once again.