Snowbird weather

Believe it or not, our low temperature right now as we write this is 23 degrees.  That's 12 degrees colder than Idaho Falls which is currently 35.  (NOTE: Our original draft said the Idaho Falls temps was 335 degrees. Astute DF & LBR Terry M. caught that typo like a hawk dives on a hapless field mouse.  Thanks, Terry, for keeping our gaffes in remission.) However, our low temp here doesn't matter because we know it's going to be in the 70's today.  Yesterday, the low was 21 degrees and the high was 81.  We worked outside from 8 am to 5 pm, spending most of that time in a short sleeve shirt.  It was borderline "hot" to both of us.  Meanwhile, the temperature in Idaho falls never got out of the 30's.  That''s what's called "snowbird weather."

Sure, it's going to get cold here and some days will struggle to get out of the 30's as well.  But those days are few and far between in a typical Arizona Snowbird Season.  We're actually quite far north. Most snowbirds land in the low country where an overnight temperature of 23 would be headline news.  If the daytime high in the low deserts dips into the 50 (or heaven forbid, the 40's) Ma and Pa Snowbird come unglued.  Up here in the high desert, we don't care about a 23 degree overnight low because we know the afternoon will be so glorious.

Speaking of this afternoon, we are heading to The Big City today.  No, that's not Phoenix--it's a little city named for a riparian tree: Cottonwood.  In the grand scheme of cities, Cottonwood is small.  In the grand scheme of our lives here, Cottonwood is large and therefore easily qualifies as The Big City.  Flagstaff is a much larger city but it's also much farther away.

Today's agenda is to stock up on culinary water, do some laundry, visit Friends, buy groceries, do some misc. shopping, visit the Habitat ReStore and witness an installation.  Installation?  What's up with that?

Well, our Dear Friend Kathy D. stepped down as Superintendent of Montezuma Well National Monument earlier this year.  Her position was filled almost immediately by a Native American, Dorothy FireCloud.  Ms. FireCloud has been on the job for many months now.  Today she gets officially "installed."  We've never heard of an installation of a superintendent before so this is news to us.  Anyway, we're going to Cottonwood today to witness the installation which will take place at Tuzigoot National Monument from 1-3 pm  We suspect the mechanics of the installation will take place right around 1 pm.

Yesterday was one of those typical grunt days we always face when we return to this place.  The weeds own the place and good ol' hand-to-hand combat is the only way to regain control of our property.We'd estimate we cleared perhaps 20 percent of the land.  It's truly hard work and as we age, that type of work becomes even harder.  That's why were real glad there's a valid excuse to skip work today and go witness an installation.  Tomorrow will be back to more of the same grunt work.

Many Cheers, jp