Sky Fire

No, the sky isn't on fire, it just looks that way.  Our January 10th sunrise is easily the best morning light we've seen since our arrival here almost two months ago.  The light show started shortly before 7 am and just keeps getting better and better as the sun approaches the lip of the Mogollon Rim.  Our tiny little point-and-shoot camera just barely captures such a magnificent vista.

Remember that old saying: "Red sky at morning, sailor's warning?"  Well, the adage is apt today as there's a BIG storm rolling in --big as in a return of C-O-L-D weather along with a dose-o-snow.  This morning's Flagstaff NWS Discussion says: "BITTER COLD IS TO BE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK."  The whole Phoenix area is all a-twitter with expectations of a hard freeze that could last all weekend.  Lots of tender plants will be lost there during this event.  If the forecast comes true, this will be the hardest, longest freeze they've had in years, dating to well before the housing bubble.  So, we'd expect the botanical "survival of the fittest" to be the rule of the day down there in the next few days.  Three graphics for this storm are below the sunrise photo.  You can easily see we are on the southern tip of a very large storm system affecting most of the US West.

Many Happy Early January Cheers!  jp