*This is for my friend who sent me a message on Facebook yesterday suggesting I write something here. For some reason she enjoys reading what I have to say and she thought it might get me out of the funk I’ve been in the past week or so. So this is for her, she knows who she is. Thank you for being a fan, my friend. I can’t guarantee the quality of this post, but hey I wrote something!
It’s summer again. I’m not a huge fan of the season. Being a desert dweller summer means excessive heat, avoiding sunburns, and always having water on hand. For me, specifically, it means The Blonde Child is visiting her father in the Midwest for a couple of months and lots of “quality time” with my dog and kitty. While the furry ones are nice company I miss TBC already and it’s only been two weeks.
There is one thing about summer that I have noticed, and somehow missed all these years,…it’s the quiet in my neighborhood. All the kids seem to have disappeared. I know there are several that live nearby but you wouldn’t know it for the absence of humans outside during the day. In the Spring they are out riding their bikes, playing catch in the cul-de-sac, and running around in the street (wish they wouldn’t do that.) Even the neighbors who live behind me, who we complain about during the cooler months because they use their garage as a second living room and enjoy singing or laughing loudly late into the night, have moved inside. It’s too hot for even them!
I know that this excessive heat is the equalizer for having pretty wonderful weather during the months when so many other places are covered with snow and ice. Knowing this, however, doesn’t stop me from longing to be somewhere where I can enjoy what summer truly has to offer. Isn’t this the time of year we are all supposed to be outside playing and having fun? Instead we are hiding in our air-conditioned homes waiting for October!
Okay it’s not really that bad. Some people get out and go the lake, the pool, or head up to the mountains for camping. I’m not the outdoorsy type (my friends are currently nodding their heads in enthusiastic agreement) so the whole lake/camping thing is not going to happen regardless. It would just be nice to be able to spend a little time outside before your skin starts to melt off your bones, ya know?! 🙂
So for those of you who are living where summers are bearable and nice, please enjoy it. Chances are you had a cold winter and deserve a break. The rest of us just need to hold tight for a few more months, keep hydrated and slathered in sunscreen because this too shall pass (I hope!)
On My Mind 
Last week back in Phx, it did seem a lot like Iowa in the dead of winter- out only if/when it was absolutely necessary. Most people don’t know that about desert dwellers.
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