Tucson Links
San Carlos
Cross-Border Adventure!
El Pinacate
The Seri Coast
Adobe Doobie-Do
Desert Cats
Obscene Cactus Flowers
Tucson at Dusk
Hikes in the Santa Catalina Mountains
Hikes in the Tucson Mountains
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
The Borderlands: Arivaca
The Borderlands: Atacosa
Sonoran Summer
Monsoon!
Valley Fever
The Cat Mother of Coronado Heights
Swim the Desert
 
Monsoon!

In late June, the monsoon rolled into town several weeks ahead of schedule. It began with a blast of white dust and mist, followed by a spectacular display of horizontal lighting (Tucson gets more lightning strikes than any other city in America).

Just before the rain, the creosote bushes perfumed the air with memories of the ocean that once filled this valley. Within minutes, the washes were flooded, and rescue crews were pulling cars out of the underpasses -- at the expense of the owners under Tucson's "Stupid Motorist" law.

We finished our porch just in time. Now there's nothing to do but unplug the computers, turn off the lights, and enjoy the show.