(our first "monsoon" during waking hours)
(Approx. 2 inches of rain in 15 minutes...impressive!)
But what I DIN'T expect to hear was that Arizona has a Monsoon season! (...two, actually)
(weren't monsoons for tropical places?)
Then, I heard that it rains SO hard that the water gushes through the washes [natural and man-made gullies in the ground to let the water flow down. Approx. 20-30 meters wide, at LEAST 4+ ft. deep, and various sizes of length]. When driving on freeways and city roads...they're EVERYWHERE!!!
(A typical wash in AZ)
And even on one day, one of those annoying TV warnings (complete with annoying sound) came on while the kids were watching a show. They advised all Maricopa County residents to "immediately move to higher ground." Hmmm....Okay?!?
Well, it started to rain...on this particular day-we were hiking at Lake Pleasant. It started out as just a refreshing "mist." Something to cool us off in the 80*F, 70% humidity climate (something I could live with for the rest of my life!)
Then you see it...the Dark Billowing Clouds, the Lightning, the vortex traveling towards you.
YOU B-LINE IT TO THE CAR because...
...you know that the rain comes down so hard that when it reaches the end of the wash, it cascades over the edge!
(picture this: minute one-cool mist. Minute 2 thru 8: hiking back to car-drizzling. Minute 9 thru 9.5: hard rain, pelting on Mom and Dad trying to buckle kids in seats. Minute 10 thru 12: Sitting in car, Jurassic Park, T-Rex part, going through my head. Minute 13: Driving home-Enough rain accumulated to create a waterfall.)
An awesome scenic wonder, and makes for even more AWESOME puddles to drive through. (Be careful---they've been known to flood an engine or two!)
