Here it is, mid-morning of an August day, high monsoon season.
We’ve been told repeatedly that (eeeeek!!) a HURRICANE is blowing in from the west and (eeeeeeek!!) we must be prepared for heavy winds and lots of rain.
Eeek.
Well. What we have is a gray, overcast, still day. But so far nary a drop of rain.
Usually if the Valley is going to get rain, our parts are first to see it. That’s because the ‘Hood backs up against a set of low mountains that marks the north end of the central part of town. Those hills collect rain clouds, so we get most of the action.
It’s plenty humid, that’s for sure. Some laundry that I set out on hangers to air-dry is still damp, after hours of hanging there. The sky is solid gray. But it ain’t a-lettin’ go of any raindrops.
The media just LOVE rain here. It’s such a rare and bizarre phenomenon that it gives local reporters (such as they are) opportunity to croon on and on and ON about…nothing…
We’re told that
- Eeek eek! Hurricane Hillary moves north!!! Aieeeggghhh!
- Omigod omigod you’ve gotta get sandbags!!! Hurry! Yow!
- Rain! Rain, we say! Omigawd it’s gonna RAIN!!!!!
- LIVE UPDATES woweee zoweee!!!!!!!
Heh heh…The nice thing about rain predictions for reporters in Arizona is that you can fill up space without having to get up from behind your desk and doing any actual…you know…reporting.
Hm. I’m thinking I should take Ruby for another walk now, before (if) it starts to rain again. The nice thing about the cloud cover is that it’s keeping the temps down in the tolerable range.
But we went out at our usual 5:30 a.m. hour — get out much later than that, and you’re toooooo late.
And as a practical matter, my enthusiasm for traipsing over to the park and back through bathroom-level humidity is low, at best.
Wunderground, the most accurate source of weather reporting I’ve found in these parts, is also indulging in the widespread repertorial hysteria:
- Eeeek! Strong storms, rain, wind, thunderstorms!!!!
- Eeeek! Flooding, storms!!!!!
- Eeeek! 200 flights at Sky Harbor impacted!!!!
Jayzus… Guys! Teeth are “impacted.”
Airplanes are delayed.
Flights are canceled.
Just a little literacy would help a lot, when it comes to American reportage.
😮