WORTH THE WAIT

It's monsoon in Tucson.

That's when the heat-weary inhabitants can be observed, throughout the day, scanning the skies in hopes of seeing rain coming their way.

I got petulant last week about the lack of rain at our house....so, I painted this. 

Paint it and it will come.

At least,  that was my hope, my intention and my prayer!

WAITING

18 X 24

We finally got several decent showers at our house. 

I'm taking full credit.

Of course, this probably helped.

Look what happens when it rains!

This is my Texas Ranger.  Most of the year, it's a rather dull grey-green, non-descript bush.

  But when it rains!  Oh my!

It explodes into a cloud of lavender blossoms. 

It smells like heaven!

If you look real close, up near the top, you can see a bee getting drunk on nectar!

At this time of year, lots of days I ask myself,

Why on earth do you live in this hotternhell country?

Then the magic of rain on the desert happens......

and I know why.

And I am grateful!

THE DOLDRUMS

I am in my annual pre-monsoon doldrums.

This is the one part of the year when I ask myself,

"Self, why in the hell do you live in Tucson?"

Self doesn't have enough energy to answer.

My major activity is to occasionally drag my over-heated body to the front yard to see what I can see to the south of us.

Then, to the back yard to check conditions there.

This looks promising.

Alas, it was nothing but empty promises.

Our house is 'cooled' by what is known as a 'swamp cooler.'  It works beautifully, untill the humidity reaches about 20% and then it is basically nothing more than a fan for your whole house. 

A not very effective fan.

So, we spend a lot of time here.

Occasionally, we will open our doors wide to catch even the smallest breeze.

Top:  Miss Daisy-yes, she has grown up!
Bottom:  Codi-yes, she finally accepted Miss Daisy.

The cats are demonstrating how I spend most of my time these days. 
Laying around.  (I know it's 'lying' around.  I'm from uneducated stock. That's how we talk.)
Doing nothing.
Becoming an expert on all things HGTV.

I want rain! 

A big, thunder-booming, lightening-flashing, downpour!

I want my street to be filled, curb-to-curb, by a veritable torrent of water!

I want to stop being jealous envious as all get out, when my friend e-mails me from Texas and says, "It's raining again...and it is so nice and cool!"

BAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The studio has a real air conditioner!  I can make it darn near cold out here, if I wish.  The only thing is, it never really feels cold.  It is just less hot.  Partly, it's because when I paint, I am standing directly beneath a four foot shop light, which, of course, gives off  H.E.A.T.  

So, I don't even want to paint.

'BIG' is coming along.  I have made some major changes on it and have more to do, but I just can't seem to make myself do it. 

Or anything else, for that matter.

Yesterday afternoon, I saw this....way off in the distance.

I am going to take that as a promise that it WILL rain....eventually!

Meanwhile, I am trying to remember what THIS felt like!

I am grateful for HGTV.

I am grateful for my recliner.

I am grateful for our ice-maker.

I am grateful for the ice cream in the freezer.

I am grateful that eventually the rains will come....

I am grateful that eventually the humidity will go....

And once again, I will feel

Grateful to live in Tucson, Arizona!