M is for Monsoons

It's a bit difficult to describe a monsoon to someone who hasn't ever lived in the desert. It's definitely different than rainy days and thunderstorms we've experiences in other parts of the country. When Addison looked outside during the last one that hit our neighborhood, we thought it most resembled a hurricane. It didn't last for long, but the heavy rainfall and gusty winds remind me of times when we've been near a hurricane.

We experienced our first Arizona monsoon just a few days after moving here. We were still living in temporary housing on base.

It had been so hot earlier in the day that we all walked outside our room to enjoy the coolness in the air. Nothing's quite as refreshing as a chance to dance in the rain.

From where we were standing we could see lightning in the distance. All of a sudden we heard a crack nearby.

That palm tree was only about a block away and it started showering down sparks of fire on the building below.

I'm sure we'll be retelling this story for moves to come. "Remember that time we were staying in the TLFs and the palm trees caught on fire." (At least the monsoon story is a bit more fun to remember than the "remember that time when we were moving and our van broke down" story.)

I'm sharing a "years ago" story corresponding to each letter of the alphabet for the Blogging through the Alphabet challenge hosted by Marcy at Ben and Me. I often tell my children stories of things that have happened in our past, and now I'm taking the time to write down those stories.

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