Monsoon
For years my girlfriends have been raving about the Monsoon season. The general rule of thumb, Monsoon begins in the July 4th week and continues to Labor Day. First, let me define what I see is a Monsoon? It is more than a rainstorm. It is an event brings change to the constant heat that is normal to the Arizona desert. The humidity builds to opppressive levels while clouds tower above. Than a fat drop of rain falls and soon the shower is a downpour. Thunder shakes the windows and lightning dances. As the rain passes by a refreshing breeze lifts the cottonwood’s leaves and colors are bright and shiney.
I’ve been told the Native Arizona people two words for rainfall. One is female and denotes the gentle winter rains that fall for hour upon hour. The other word is masculine for the thunder, lightning, and torrid rainfall of the monsoon. Fierce and short-lived, a monsoon will tear trees from hillsides, move boulders from place to place, and can even fill a dry wash with dangerous fast-flowing run-off in a matter of minutes. Winter rains are life-giving but a summer monsoon can destroy. However, a monsoon makes the desert so green, it can make your heart burst.
Here the sky begins to fill with classic Monsoon clouds over the saguaro dotted desert around Tucson.
In the center of this photo is a “localized” downpour. Taken from the road to Mt. Lemon (Coronado National Forest) outside Tucson.
Monsoon showers at sunset. Reminds me of those gauze curtains across the livingroom window.
Poppies bloom on the hillsides, making them look like the angels have sprinkled grated Cheddar cheese all over the place. Below is a flower named Arizona Bluecurl. Would love to fine this beauty flower but haven’t yet. Borrowed photo from the web.
