So, I thought I was going to Arizona for 10 days of sunshine, shorts and sandals.  Arizona had a slightly different idea of how to play host for my visit.

For any of you who read our last newsletter and thought I may have been gloating, I can assure you there is karmic justice in this world!  As it happens, I saw just as much snow in Arizona in less than one week as I did in WI in December this year.  

Friday the 4th (the same day I posted about being in SUNNY Arizona), we were up to Sedona for a 3 day mountain bike festival … and camping.  And the weather?

                Well, … it snowed.   

                While most of my camping in Wisconsin is in the more temperate months, rain and cold are always a possibility, and I have had some cold trips – but this was a more than anticipated for an Arizona excursion.  Needless to say, we survived the night, and the following day we saw more rain, sleet and a bit more snow.  So we’re 2 out of 2 for snow days so far!

                The picture in our newsletter post was taken the following Thursday, March 10th. That is looking east along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon as a snow squall is moving in! This was an absolutely amazing phenomena to watch – the majesty of the Grand Canyon and the harsh and hospitability of a spring blizzard combined!  Although, once the snow moved in, there wasn’t much more to see of the canyon, so we hit the road for some mountain driving, in a tailing blizzard.  That’s 3 days of snow in less than a week’s time!

                Now, I don’t want to give the wrong impression that I wasn’t able to enjoy some sunshine on the trip.  While Phoenix did experience a “cold spell”, that is s different kind of cold spell than we experience back home in WI. It was sunny and in the 60’s earlier in the week, and into the 80’s on our final 3 days of the visit. I’m certainly not complaining about the snow or the cold, as I am in awe of all of the variables nature presents, and find the resilience of all living organisms to survive all of these extremes to be fascinating. And, at the end of it all, I got a few days of that warm sunshine I was expecting, had a lot of great times visiting, and even got a little extra melanin under my skin.

                Oh, and did I mention that we arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday morning just in time to drive through a snowstorm back to Appleton?  Ahhh – like I said 2 weeks ago, it’s always good to be home, too!

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