Southern Arizona – Desert Living Tips

We were talking to our daughter on the phone two nights ago when all of a sudden she sounded very panicky. She was experiencing the first earthquake in her life, now that she was studying in Los Angeles and away from us in Tucson. Later, she emailed us that they just had another aftershock. She is used to the heat, wildlife, and occasional wild fires in Southern Arizona, but she wasn't prepared for the idea of earth beneath her feet quaking like jello. Very unsettling.

Like many newcomers, when we first arrived in Tucson we were lacking practical knowledge about the surrounding desert and its inhabitants. We saw the desert and the various cacti, but we did not know what else might be living out there among the cacti and in the mountains. We were lucky when friends gave us a book called “Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Book of Answers” by David Wentworth Lazaroff. We then learned about things newcomers to the high desert should know: javelinas, rattlesnakes, kissing bugs, gila monsters,
tortoises, coyotes, mountain lions, quail, and insightful and interesting facts such as what kind of plants attract humming birds... But still we did not know what the mud tube in the hallway near our kitchen was when we first discovered it. We did not know that living in the relatively upscale Foothills area of Tucson means that sometime in the near future, you'll meet up with termites. And that this is not a reflection on you personally; even the best of houses have them. Fortunately, they are treatable.

Desert living is very different than, for example, life on the East Coast of the United States. We quickly learned to bring water with us if we'd be outdoors for any length of time, especially when we are hiking in our nearby mountains. We learned to keep away from the pretty cacti and prickly pear; everything is thorny or sharp. We learned to respect the desert and admire the ingenious life adaptations of the wildlife and plants. We learned that Spring here is from February to April, the dry Summer is May through June, the Summer Monsoon is from July to mid-September, Fall is from mid-September to November, and Winter is December and January. However, the Winter here is so mild that it can be compared to Spring or Summer in Michigan or New England or Canada.

Of course, there are always exception to the seasonal weather. As I am typing this, the weatherman is predicting rain tomorrow. It's very early in the year for rain. Monsoon season is a couple of months away, but it seems we will be getting a little preview of the thunder, rain, and the wind. When the rain comes in monsoon season, the washes will be filled with lots of water where it was a river of parched sand just hours before. We learned not to drive through any water-filled dip in a road when there is a warning sign “Do Not Cross When Flooded”. If you do, you may very well end up being shown on TV standing on top of your car waiting to be rescued. See picture by Aaron J. Latham/Arizona Daily Star.


When you first move to Southern Arizona, listen to the locals and read about the critters and the plants. Be sure to carry some water with you wherever you go. Don't get dehydrated and don't be fooled by the Dry Heat!