The beautiful weather of Phoenix, Arizona


OK, I'll admit it, I moved to Phoenix for the weather. I grew up in Minneapolis, which is wonderfully green because it seems like it's always either raining, or snowing. And while I like trees, and green landscaping, I don't like rain, and I don't like snow.

I collect old photos of Phoenix, and post them on the web. It's a learning experience, and one of the things I've learned is that not everyone agrees with me about how beautiful the weather is in Phoenix. And that group tends to be the people who grew up in Phoenix, and who experienced the terribly hot summers. I have often wondered how these kids could stand the heat, trying to play outside, etc., but I guess kids do what they have to do.

I moved to Phoenix when I was 19, and have spent most of my time in a nice air-conditioned office. In fact, one of the jobs I had was in what I have always considered to be a “space ship” in a tall building downtown, now called Chase Tower. I would drive my air conditioned car into the shade of a parking garage, walk underground to the building, and take an elevator to my floor. The building had just about everything I needed, including a post office, and dry cleaners. Sometimes at lunch I would walk around downtown, but I really didn't have to.

It's October 3rd and I'm already getting that old feeling that has never left me, that winter will not be coming here. It's been a long time since I've seen snow, and sleet, and cold, and believe me, I don't miss it. And this glorious weather will continue for the next six months, with brilliant sunshine, almost no rain (we do get some light rains in December and January), and no snow.

People who grew up here just shake their heads at people like me, who consider the weather in Phoenix to be beautiful. I've tried to explain it, but really, I was never a kid here riding my bike to school in the terrible heat. It must have been awful. But to me, it was all about playing golf in November. You can't do that in Minneapolis!

Photo above: Sahuaro Ranch, Glendale, Arizona.
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