Heat Wave

To all of the Arizona people:
 I want you to know that we are having a heat wave here. 

I believe it was about 66 degrees today.  Last week it got up to mid-80's.....Boy was it hot. 

This morning, SK and I walked about a mile and a half to buy a fan that will sit in our bedroom and cool things off a bit.  It was very pleasant because we walked along 3 lakes and saw a little family of swans and several duck families.  You are probably getting tired of the pictures but it is so fun to be out and see them - in real life!

It is humid here....but nothing like North Carolina....we were there several years ago in the summer and I thought I was going to expire from the heat.  I think the humidity was in the 90's.  It is 63 here and quite comfortable if there is a breeze.  (And there is always a breeze!)

The only place that is uncomfortable is indoors ...during the day.  Nearly all buildings are well-ventilated and opening a couple of windows ventilates everything better than a fan!  Very few have air-conditioning...so unnecessary!  When we get to the center at 3 in the afternoon it is quite warm inside.  We open all the windows and get the air circulating and that helps, but it is still warm.  People come inside fanning themselves and collapsing on the couches saying "It is sooooooo hot!"

We spent some time outside this morning cleaning up our little patio.  We have a small little area that is semi-private and very pleasant.  There has been a layer of dead leaves and we have assumed all these months that the maintenance people from the apartment building would take care of it.

We recently discovered that WE are supposed to care for it!  So we are going to spiffy it up and plant some beautiful flowers and perhaps a tomato plant and a basil plant!  We got a fair amount done this morning with just our bare hands, but tomorrow we need to buy a few things to help us get it looking good.  I am excited about it.

Tonight we met on the steps of the temple for Family Home Evening and heard talks from President and Sister Williams.  It was beautiful out and a lovely setting for inspiring talks.  After they finished we played a fun game.  We divided into four groups and  put our heads together to come up with the correct answers. 

Some of the very best young people in the world....and we're missing a bunch of them.

Everyone is pretty focused on the fun activity in front of them.  President and Sister Williams are on the front row.

SK tried out the panorama shot again...pretty neat.

By the time we were done, it was just starting to get dark.  The sun is going down before ten, but it stays light until well after 10....it is such an odd thing.

One of our sweet young women invited a friend of hers from school.  He is not a member, but he had some prior knowledge about our beliefs.  He fit right in and seemed to enjoy it.  He said he will come again.  I am ceratin he felt welcome....these young people are great at that.

The young woman who invited him told me later that she reads "Preach My Gospel" for the sheer joy of it.  It contains the Gospel in simple and easy-to-understand terms, references scriptures that teach truths and has a beautiful spirit about the lesson plans with  thought-provoking questions.  It is a wonderful book, but I had never thought how good it is for new converts.

It is 11:00 now and there are young people lounging on the couches talking, and I can hear several in the kitchen visiting.  Voices are raised animatedly and laughter rings through the center.  The window next to the desk is open and cool night air is gently flowing in.  I think we will be here for awhile yet.

SK is reading something, and I am taking this time to write, so that when we get home I can go to bed.

Now that we have a fan I think I'll be able to handle this heat!