Summer / Monsoon 2022
June 24, 2022 - Sep 22, 2022
We survived! Katie and I spent our second summer/monsoon in SE Arizona and our first on our own property. It was a milder summer than our first in 2020 as well as a wetter monsoon. The preparations we made prior to summer worked out great, even if they weren't completed. Knowing that every year is different, we still have plenty to do.
It was a joy to get to know all of the wildlife that makes our property, and this valley, its home throughout the year. From the scurrying lizards to the wild cats and everything in between (even some larger), I am thankful that we have the ability to make this our home as well.
Living the Monsoon
Thunderstorm cell between us and Mica Mountain
Spring brings the first greening of the desert. If winter rains precede it, which have been lacking the last few years, then there may be a desert bloom as well. It also brings out many of those that hibernate due to the cold: snakes, lizards, ants, flying insects... In all, it is a welcome change from the quiet winter.
After the first greening of the spring, the desert dries out in late May and June, bringing with it the cicadas, tortoises, and gila monsters. Temperatures head into the triple digits, but it is a dry heat. Grasses dry up and fires become a concern, especially if the beginning of monsoon brings dry lightning in the latter part of June.
Monsoon brings a second greening of the desert, mid-July through August and even into September, that can make spring look brown. Toads, millipedes, centipedes, and critters you didn't even know existed emerge. Humidity goes up and you might feel that you have been transported into the tropics while sitting along the running San Pedro River, which is dry most of the year.
A full San Pedro River
This summer we have had another normal to above average monsoon -- the average always moving. The San Pedro River ran constantly from the end of July to mid-September except for a few small breaks. Rainfall where we live was probably close to average, but above average rainfall south of us and into Mexico (upriver) has kept the river supplied with chocolate brown water for an unusually long time. An active hurricane season in the Pacific supplied extra moisture and extended the monsoon period a bit.
Due to the lack of winter rains, the desert decided to skip cactus blooms for the most part. Virtually no prickly pear and very few saguaro cactus had flowers around us this past spring. I had been looking forward to saguaro and prickly pear fruit during the summer, so that was disappointing. La Niña apparently is going to be around for a third winter, keeping things dry again, so next summer doesn't look very promising for cactus fruit either. Barrel (compass) cactus, which bloom later and took advantage of the monsoon rains, did have a nice bloom. Their fruit is not as tasty but should be ready in the winter, if we can remember to try some before the javelina find them. Some of the smaller cacti also took advantage of the monsoon rains to bloom late in the season.
Morning Glory, Tithonia, Four O'clocks, and a number of other late bloomers have brought color right before the second browning of the desert begins.
Young Zebra-tailed Lizard
The newest experience for us has been the number of young lizards running around where we live. We have seen young whiptails, spinys, and fence lizards. But the ones that tickle me are the young earless and zebra-tailed lizards with bodies about an inch long that I cannot see due to their color matching the ground, but dash off as I walk between our trailer and screen room with only their shadow visible moving along the ground. When they stop, you see their tiny striped tail waving in the air. If you are calm, you can walk up to them and they look like scale models of the adults. I am not able to tell them apart at that size without a microscope, but I love having them around. I don't recall seeing them when we arrived last September.
Summer and monsoon are a challenge, which is why the population of SE Arizona plummets during that time. You are either faced with very high, dry heat or moderately high, humid heat. Then there is dealing with the thunderstorms, which make event planning a trick since the road can be closed down by rushing water during heavy thundershowers that may not even be local. And it's anyone's guess what shape the road will be in afterwards. Then there are the flies, mosquitos, gnats, no-see-ums, and myriad bizarre insects that are interested in your sweaty, salty body. Not to mention your blood; I haven't stopped itching for months. But as someone who is energized by wildlife, it really is the best time of year here. It is so dynamic and it definitely keeps you on your toes. Being able to watch a thunderstorm where the gods seem to be battling like no Star Wars movie could ever match, and without having to worry much about fires due to everything being green, is worth the cost of admission.
Fall should bring a bit of calm, the return of coyote packs singing at night, deer, and wintering birds, but I am a bit sad for this time of year to end. Admittedly, I am enjoying the cooler nights and looking forward to less scratching as well as being able to put the bug net away, for awhile.