Nice stay at Show Low

September 20, 2008
Show Low, AZ

We're winding down our stay at Show Low, since we head for Santa Fe on Monday. There's not a whole lot to do here, and we were looking for a place to relax for a bit after all the activities around Lake Powell, so this has worked out well. We've puttered with a few things around the coach and got in some reading (nothing new for Geri, but a nice change for me) and maybe even an afternoon nap. Of course, there's been an unusual amount of monitoring of financial news and analysis this past week as well, but that's for a different blog. And, the lack of substantial rain means that the coach hasn't sunk into the ground any further. :-)

We've had generally nice weather, but most days there have been "pop-up" thunderstorms in the general vicinity. I suspect that this phenomenon is related to the topography of the land and the prevailing air currents at this time of year. Any moisture pulled into southern Arizona at elevations ranging up to 3,000-4,000 feet collides with the 7,000-8,000 foot Mongollan Rim and White Mountains (no, they're not just in New Hampshire), clouds build up, and rain falls. My niece Alyson (studying meteorology) could probably provide a more technical explanation.

Fortunately, we've had little of the rain actually fall on us. The relatively flat terrain where we are means that we can see pretty well into the distance in all directions, and you can see rain falling somewhere most every afternoon. We were fortunate to see a rainbow the other evening as we were getting ready for dinner. It was quite bright, and for a while there was a faint shadow of a second bow. We haven't seen a double rainbow since we were in Oregon last fall. This one lasted quite a while, since conditions were just about perfect: a slow-moving shower to the east and a setting sun to the west. And we didn't even get wet!

Yesterday (Friday), we took a ride east and then south, just to explore the White Mountains. We've never been in this part of the state before, and it was interesting to reflect on the notion that Arizona is way more diverse than most people think - it's not just about the deserts. Many of the areas through Springerville and Alpine down to Hannagan Meadow reminded us of Yellowstone in Wyoming, just without the geothermal features.

The road (US-191) to Hannagan Meadow runs along a picturesque little creek, so we stopped at a couple of spots for some photos. I got a couple of interesting shots, although the local wildlife (a chipmunk and a duck) were less than pleased with my presence.