Snow in Tucson

Snow: Too Much, Already or Whee! This is Fun
     Yesterday, when the weatherman said there would be snow in Tucson down to 3000 feet we all said, okay. Then this morning it was beautiful and the Accenture Golf Tournament told how they'd let the grass grow (in other words they didn't trim it overnight to it's velvety smooth World Class Golf Tournament quality) and wet the geens down. Well, they started off fine this morning at 8 am or so just fine at about 48 degrees and pretty and very little wind, but by 10 am it started raining, 10:30 am it was pouring rain, and by 11:30 am it was SNOWING!!! Big large fluffy flakes. Everyone on Facebook was posting photos and Taylor my young 14 year old friend called me from her high school, all excited. My daughter called to tell me to look out the window, and yes, I did go out and take pictures. 

Looking West from My Front Door 11:30am

Looking Out my Front Door towards the Road

Looking East Down the Ramp

     The above photos are indeed showing just a little bit of snow, but, boy oh boy was it fun to see all the comments on FaceBook by friends in Tucson about this unusual snow day. I have a photo of  my granddaughter playing out in it. But it didn't last too long, it began raining and the snow turned to slush and mud.

Tehya Lee Palmer age 2 1/2  Playing with Large Fluffy Snowflakes

     But you've got to figure, that this little girl will probably be 8 or 10 years old before she can see snow in her front yard again if she continues to live in Tucson. 
     Now mind you, I know the rest of the nation is pretty tired of blizzards, snow, ice and winter storms and I really am truly sorry that when this storm leaves Arizona that it will probably carry a wallop for them.
Oh, It SNOWED AGAIN!
     At 5 pm I looked out the window and it was snowing again. Of course I rushed outside and took a few more photos. This time I tried to be a little "Arty" and took 30 more photos. Ahhhh, I know, but you see I am not a very good photographer. So I figured that I might get one or two good ones. However this time, I had to juggle an umbrella and tread very carefully in the slushy ice just outside my door. The rain was cascading off my roof onto my head, thus the umbrella was a necessity. 

Feb 20, 2013 5:30 pm

What a difference a month makes!!!! Compare these two views of the ramp at my house.

Is it Spring Already? In February?

The past week has been absolutely beautiful in my corner of Arizona, Picture Rocks. As I drive the road into Tucson the purple lupine-like wildflowers are carpeting the sides of the road.

On one day it was just a blanket of golden flowers, with their bright yellow color flowing through the desert floor in contrast to the upright saguaros and prickly cactus.

Then the next day the purple bloomed as a surprise, and little bushes of pink buckwheat like flowers appeared. Finally little white daisy like flowers were sprinkled  throughout the purple.  I keep waiting for a really cold snap to bring reality back. So far so good. The beauty of the desert is still all around me.

The photo historian in me wants to pull over with all the other gawkers to capture this mid winter phenomenon. There is no way February 18th thru 29th is Spring! Tell that to the thousands who descend upon Tucson for the International Soccer Team's games (just ask David Beckham) or the hundred thousand who watched famous golfers from all over the world in the Accenture Match Play week long series of World Championship Golf games at the Ritz Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana (last year the golfers woke up to snow on the ground.)

What are the locals doing during this fortunate spell of great weather? They are attending the annual Vaqueros Rodeo Days. Even the little guys, "bust mutton" riding on large sheep to compete. Only in Tucson is President's day NOT a school holiday, but the Thursday and Friday of Rodeo Week is!!!

As a BEE in this desert, I am right at home with nature's surprise of riotous color all around. The wildflowers (some say weeds) have finally found their way into my backyard, covering the normal dirt, sand and rocks. They have begun to go to seed and have died back from around the front of my driveway. So I've got to get out the hula hoe to knock them down; and begin clearing the "weeds."

Clearing the weeds from my thinking, too; maybe I can focus on the symbolic desert called cyber space. Now, instead of roads in the wilderness, I can concentrate on links (that may soon be disappearing according to blogger James Tanner) into the world wide web. Now instead of looking up at the clouds passing over head on the winds of this morning's cold front passing through, perhaps I can learn about THE CLOUD and what it means to genealogy.

It may not be Spring on the calendar yet, but there is a spring in my step and a time of new beginnings in my search of the scriptures. Now to begin my journey into my series on "A Genealogist Looks at Isaiah."