Desertscape

We returned to Phoenix metro a week ago after a summer in Maine.  After relatively dry Arizona monsoons the past couple of years, this summer saw a "deluge" with much of the metro area seeing between 5 and 10 inches of rain over a three month period (if you live on the East Coast or in South Asia you can stop laughing now).

What we saw upon our return was a lesson in ecology and the adaptation of plants to their climate.  Trees, bushes and plants grew by leaps and bounds.  We've never seen this much green.  The mesquite tree in our backyard now has sprouts and leaves extending over a third of our pool, which has never happened before.  Another plant in our front patio has doubled in size and everything green looks healthier and fuller.  In the desert plants learn how to make maximum use of any small amount of moisture or they do not survive.

Given our drought conditions it is a blessing to have a good monsoon.  Let's hope for a lot of snow and rain this winter, particularly up on the Mogollon Rim, to recharge the reservoirs.

Of course with nature there is always a balance.  The robust monsoon led to a significant increase in the mosquito population, which is usually low compared to the Midwest and East, and to an outbreak of West Nile virus.