Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Summer in Tucson

The leaves on the trees have folded in upon themselves, exposing as little to the air as possible.  

I've done the same, wearing as little as possible and interacting with the sun only when I must.  If I'm not out of the pool by 9am, I'm not going in at all.  By then, the water temperature is in the mid-nineties; there are days when I wish for a shower of ice cubes to cool things down .  

Despite slathering lotion and spraying SPF50 on every available surface, just walking through a parking lot leaves me with tingly arms.  Taos Bubbe and I went to the Grateful Dead Meet Up movie in a semi-abandoned mall on Saturday afternoon.  Google Maps couldn't find the theatre and neither could we. 

We wandered past empty big box stores, deterred by security fencing from exploring further.  Plus, it was really really hot, too hot to do anything but get into my car and drive around the parking lots until we stumbled on the building.  We parked 3 spaces in from as-close-as-we-can-get.  We were sweaty when we went through the doors.

I love Tucson in the summertime.  The 18 minute drive to pilates took me 11 minutes this morning, and I was dawdling. Most afternoons, I'm the only car on the road until I reach the major north/south streets.  Sunday morning felt like driving during Pandemica.  There was no one else out.

Securing a dinner reservation is never a problem. Venues are uncrowded.  Cashiers have time to chat.  It feels like a small town filled with people who have chosen to be here..... even when the outdoor thermometer registers 112 degrees bumping languidly into one another.

2 comments:

  1. Life in the desert is not for me. Obviously you live indoors in the summer, and that's when we move outdoors.

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    Replies
    1. There are certain times of the year where being outdoors is untenable in most places I've lived. Marin was the only exception; it was wonderful all year 'round.
      a/b

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