:: carrying on

Here in Arizona, there are some years when it feels like summer starts somewhere mid-spring. 

(The temperatures can hit in the 90's as early as March some years!)

But, this year we had a wonderfully mild spring, & now that it's July... summer has definitely arrived. 

In the 23 years I've lived here, I now feel like summer is officially here when we get the start of the summer rains... or what is called the 'monsoon' season. When I first moved here, I didn't care for it too much ("but I thought it was supposed to be a 'dry' heat!"), but now I love it when they arrive. 

And just the other day... they arrived!

In the top photo, I had opened the front door to check to see if any storms might be building (they often come up from the south during the summer), & although it was still very sunny (& hot!) over us, you can see what was coming! Bailey was just finishing 'watering' one of the bushes...(he's such a helper in with the gardening!)... when a big low rumble came from the direction of the mountains (& the big dark clouds), & within a split-second he was making a bee-line for the front door! So we went inside & put on his storm gear... his Thundershirt. He actually likes having it on & it does really help with the thunder-boomers. He was a happy camper throughout the 1.5 inches of rain we got that afternoon.  

The photo at the bottom was actually taken only about 15 minutes after the top photo! Within a few minutes we had a nice little lake build up on the side of the house... which my Dad loves (& actually created a dam so that  the rainwater wouldn't run out the side yard to fast) as it then soaks down & deep waters the trees we have on the side yard. You can see by the patchy grass, that we were in such need of rain. Hopefully with one or two more good rains, the grass will become more lush & green & less patchy. (... & all the bunnies that visit our backyard will be so happy!)

I hope you all (in the States) had a great Independance Day celebration. I watched some fireworks on TV (with the sound turned down as my little pupper doesn't like the booms at all...) & thankfully none of our neighbors set off any fireworks in the neighborhood. I love fireworks... ever since I was little... but having a pup that gets really traumatized by the noise has tempered my appreciation of them being allowed to be set off  within a neighborhood. I know I must sound like a firework 'Scrooge' , but honestly I do love them... in their proper place. 

I've had my nose to the grindstone with some new projects, & I'll try to snap some photos for you for another post. I'm putting this post together on my iPad, to see if this makes it easier for me to 'find' the time to post a little easier... So we will see if it looks the same. As I'm looking at this post as I'm putting it together, the photos look huge... so we'll see!

 Until then, I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

xo, Bren