Things about AZ that will never stop tripping me out ...

[mr_lebowski]

Been here 10 years (sadly) and there's stuff about the summers that will just never seem normal.

Went out just now for a vape, it's 11pm, still EASILY 100F out, but it's windy, the sky is covered with clouds, and the smell of fresh rain is on the air (though it's sadly not raining at my place).

It's just freakish here sometimes. It's not supposed to be 100 f***ing degrees, at 11pm, while also cloudy and raining.

I do dig the summer storms honestly it's probably my favorite part of this place, but ... it's the sheer weirdness that makes me dig 'em.

[trc]

1. I spent 4 years in Tuscon in the 80's

And my favorite thing about that area was the smell of the desert sage after the rains. Went back in '91 for some training at Fort Huachuca south of Tuscon but had to fly in to Tuscon. Got off the plane on the runway at 3AM, smelled the sage and loved it.

[MLAA]

2. Nothing like the smell of the first rain of the monsoon!

The monsoon lightening storms use to be extraordinary. I remember one in particular about 10 years ago in Tucson that reminded me of fireworks. No thunder, just lightening all across the sky for about 30 minutes. What a display.

[mr_lebowski]

5. I know, it is great, I just wish it would dump HERE ...

That smell is still faint, I can tell it's raining within a few miles of me, but ... nothing here yet. If it starts, you bet I'll be on my porch, soaking it up.

I've seen some pretty damn crazy storms here, but I gotta admit the most impressive one was about 8 years back, where it was literally like a strobe light was flashing in the sky for about 20 minutes straight. And PLENTY of thunder. Only seen it get close to that particular night 1 time since.

[Clash City Rocker]

3. One of the oddest things for me when I moved from CA to NJ

Was when it was hot and raining because of the humidity. That just never happened in Northern California, at all. It only rained there when it was cold. In fact, you could tell from the temperature when it was going to rain.

[mr_lebowski]

4. And I'm from No. Cal as you probably remember ...

So yeah, exactly