"A Heart...Warming"

Brrrrr...baby, it's c...c...c...old outside!

Here in the "Valley of the Sun"

we hit 75 year old overnight LOW temps

in the "low 20's" this week

and highs only in the lower 40's...

which were actually lower than those in

Anchorage Alaska!

Then...

add in fierce gusty winds, an official "hard" freeze,

and

a record low February dew point

of -18 degrees

and Phoenix was in the deep freeze.

It was soooo dry

the winds sliced like sharp sabers.

The Pro Am of the Phoenix Open was even cancelled

due to the fact that the greens

were tundra-like and could be easily damaged.

Plants and citrus trees everywhere

took on ghostly appearances

covered with sheets and car covers and

towels and rags.

Pool pumps, outdoor spigots, and irrigation systems

suffered heavy damage

from the freeze if not cared for properly.

Fountains and outdoor water features froze

into jeweled lacy ice sculptures.

Today temps are 25 degrees below the seasonal average.

BUT....

this weekend

they are to return to a somewhat normal range

hitting the 70's by Sunday. YAY!

So...

amidst all this chilly frigid blog speak...

I DO realize that

others have had a winter season far worse than I...

and that

I would rather shovel sunshine than snow...

no matter how cold it gets! :)

(Seriously!)

Today I send you sunshine and smiles

from the desert.

I hope that your artistic spirits and your gardens

will slowly begin to warm

to the thoughts and plantings of

a springtime filled with glorious blooms.

Now there's a

heart warming thought for sure!

♥
“All the statistics in the world

can't measure the warmth of a smile.”
~Chris Hart