Stormy Weather

Right after we moved here to Arizona, I met a girl at the gym and we became friends. 

I mostly thought she was crazy for various reasons I won't get into here, but she was a good workout buddy.  Part of her craziness was that she was quite the control freak, which I used to my advantage cause I knew she would get super mad if I was ever late to the gym (let alone decide to skip a day).

Anyway, (and not that I thought this was particularly crazy, just a little odd at the time) she was all excited one day because the skies were gray and overcast.  "I hate the sunshine! It's so depressing. Some day I am going to move to Oregon or Washington where it is hardly ever sunny!"  I used to think that was a fairly odd point of view. What kind of person hates sunshine?

Of course after living here for another decade, I'm starting to come around to her point of view.

While I still think hate is a strong word when it comes to sunshine, and choosing to live with gray and gloomy skies day after day after day still strikes me as odd, I have long since been able to appreciate the beauty in rainy, gray, overcast days.

Actually I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who has lived in Arizona for more than a year or two who doesn't think rainy days are the best.   The dust storms I think we can all live with out.  We had a pretty good one yesterday, and as I was pulling into the neighborhood where my kids take music lessons, a lady in her car flagged me down.  "We're from out of town, is this normal?  Is it ok to be out driving in this?"  I replied that this was our version of fog and to just take it easy.  As long as you can see around you (vision at that point was limited to about a half a mile) you'll be fine.   Nick and I had a good chuckle over that, (dust! ha! nothing to get too worked up over)  but I am sure that although I grew up driving in it, the thought of driving in snow might actually give me a panic attack.

A friend of mine and I like to go walking together in the mornings, but only during that half of the year where the weather is tolerable.  In other words, it's been months since we've been able to.  But this morning the temperatures were lower (80's) and the skies were overcast, so I wasn't surprised to get a text from her asking if I wanted to go walking.   Given the fact that I could hear thunder in the distance, I responded that I wondered if it would rain, but that I was up for the challenge of beating it. 

Chances are it wouldn't be a sprinkling we would be racing against, it would be a downpour.

As I walked to her house I noticed how absolutely gorgeous the skies were.  Every shade of gray, fighting with each other. Some places looked as though the light was trying to break it's way through, and other areas were so dark it looked fairly menacing.

Seriously gorgeous.  Love. Love. Love.  I don't know that I would be able to live with that on a regular basis, but today all that grayness just lifted my spirits.

We did beat the storm for the most part.  Big fat raindrops started falling as we were parting was on a corner half way between our homes.  It was a full downpour by the time I reached home, and although I was pretty wet, it was actually a welcome relief.  We only walked three miles, and it wasn't too hot out, but it was pretty humid and sticky, so the cool rain felt nice, and I was only out in it for a minute.

So, to sum up-

- It's funny the things you can get used to.  Giant dust storm on the horizon heading straight at you? No biggie.  I've seen worse. That's nothing.  When it looks like a giant wall is coming at you, then you might not want to leave the house.

-I know I've already whined about this, but man, I miss winter. I miss walking and socializing, and getting out and just enjoying being outside.  I wish I could say that today is the beginning of the end (of summer), but I'm not going to hold my breath. Today was just like a lovely little oasis.  I'll take what I can get.

-Despite some one's general appearance of craziness, you might find yourself some day agreeing with some or all of their point of view.  Now who's crazy?

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"Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, Stormy weather.  Since my man and I ain't together.  Keeps rainin' all the time."-  Billie Holiday