Monsoon!

I had to share these pictures of a downed tree seen in Barrio Hollywood here in Tucson this 4th of July.  So far it looks like its going to be a good monsoon, with storms and rain for the past three evenings.  The storm hit my area on 4th of July and afterward while Will and I were driving around we saw one major car accident, one traffic light hanging just by its cable, and this tree.

Apparently one of the apartment complexes in the neighborhood had a tree fall on a family's apartment, trapping the family in side for a couple hours until they could be freed.  You can read the local news report here.

Monsoon can be a crazy, even scary time, particularly if you are stuck out in the storm when it hits.  But its also exhilarating. The desert needs the water desperately after this drought that has lasted the last few years.  Tucson and many other cities and towns in the Southwest banned fireworks this year because the surrounding area is so dry and ready to go up in flames.  And there is no better salve to the insane heat of summer than a summer storm clearing the air and dropping the temperatures.  Its my favorite season of the year.