(Arizona joke: It was so hot I saw a coyote chasing a jackrabbit and they were both walking!)
Those of us who have lived in Arizona for a reasonable
amount of time understand what the place is all about with regards to lifestyle
and the effect that weather has on it.
My wife and I have been permanent residents of Scottsdale
and Phoenix for the last 27 years. Before
that we were mid-westerners having grown up in Cincinnati and later living in
the Kansas City area for 20 years. We
knew all about seasonal changes like ice and snow, humid summers, and raking
leaves. Corn fields were a common sight
as were lush green lawns plus we had daylight savings time.
Living in Arizona is a whole new ball game. As described by local writer S. E. Schlosser in
a hilarious recent column about the differences between Arizona and the more
northern climes, we always carry our own water with us. Most of the time, especially in the summer,
almost everyone will be holding a bottle of water, usually the large economy
size. It’s what one does when the
temperatures start going up around March to a steady diet of 100+ degree days. The record for March is 102 degrees set in
1988. As I write this in June, I still
remember June of 1990 when it hit 122 degrees.
Carrying your own H2O makes a lot of sense under those conditions.
Winter in Scottsdale (usually)
Here are a few more observations from Ms Schlosser concerning
the summer Arizona lifestyle: 1. Do not
expect cold water to come out of the cold water tap (see above listed
temperatures as why that is so). 2. Arizonans consider 90 degree weather as
representing a cooling trend. People
take certain jobs because covered parking is a perk. (Caution: do not touch a dashboard that has
been exposed to the sun for a long period!) 3. Outdoor activities start at
about 5:00 a.m. and end about 8:00 a.m.4. You run INTO the rain instead of out of it (That is assuming that there IS any
rain!). 5.Umbrellas are used on sunny days, not rainy ones. 6. You are happy to see a lizard in your yard
because it proves that something is alive.
7. The local weather report is a looped tape. 8. You would rather get a letter from the IRS
than have to open your utility bill. 9. You’re an expert on ceiling fans
because you have one in every room constantly in use. 10. You buy sunscreen in quart size
containers.
So, why would anyone want to live in such a place? A lot of residents flee in the summer to the
northern climes because of the above mentioned items. In the winter there is the opposite: People flood back to their winter homes in Arizona
because of the nice sunny days and temperatures in the 70 to 80 degree
range. The golf courses are reseeded so
they are green during the winter. Of
course green fees rise also but if one can afford to live in Arizona in the
winter, so what. In short, it is a nice
lifestyle that I wouldn’t trade for anywhere else.
