Word of the Day

Monetious - Often attractive from a distance, but appearing quite the opposite at a closer inspection. ( French painter Monet (1840-1926) who perfected the Impressionism style with highly pixelating his art.)

Drought in Arizona. 140 Days and Counting Without Measurable Rain in The Valley of the Sun.

We haven't had a drop of rain since HTP and I returned to Arizona. While this is a good thing for people who have planned outdoor weddings and parties, this isn't too good for the plants. We have irrigation but the poor plants were looking a bit dusty and forlorn before I gave them a bath the other day. We do live in a desert so a dirth of rain isn't too surprising. However, we do get rain and the 140 days without the wet stuff has broken all records. People from Arizona don't expect a rain like Wisconsin or Minnesota or Oregon or Washington, but we do get rain on occasion. Such occasions will find Arizonans racing outside to enjoy the sight. The other day I walked to the mailboxes with a neighbor and he swore that he felt a drop or two of rain from our overcast skies but I think he was just hopeful. Dire predictions of wildfires have been made. Of course, the same occurs when we get too much rain in the spring because all the resultant vegetation dries in the summer heat and then becomes combustible. So, I guess, rain or no, dire predictions of wildfires will always occur. It would be nice to get some rain though.

HTP and I took care of the backyard landscaping cleanup this morning. It was a perfect morning for such a spring cleaning. The sun was out but the temperature was still cool enough so we weren't having to run in and drink copious amounts of water. While my son in Minnesota talks of snow and cold, here in Arizona it's time to get the yardwork done. I always feel energized right after this kind of work. However, I know I'll feel it later so I need to hurry and take care of stuff that I won't feel like taking care of due to sore muscles later on.

I don't want to think about the fact that it won't be too long before I'll be doing yardwork at our house in Wisconsin. The yardwork there is always a challenge. Stuff grows with no problem. Green. Lots of green. My Mom actually accused me of planting grass by her cabin one year. Honest. I didn't. It grew up all on it's own. There is never an area that won't turn green with moss or grass if you cut away the trees and the weeds. No desert landscaping there. Lots and lots of constant weeding or spraying for weeds. The rule in Wisconsin is to pull at least ten weeds every time you go outside to walk the dogs. And that's just so they don't take over, demand the vote, and ultimately decide they should be the rulers of the world. Have you ever seen how the ancient Mayan ruins have been overwhelmed and hidden in the jungles? Overwhelmed by green vegetation. Weeds. I have no doubt that such would be the fate of my house in Wisconsin if I wasn't constantly vigilant with my weeding.

Murphyism of the Day

Hane's Law

There is no limit to how bad things can get.