Sunset on June 4, 2009 in the Catalina Foothills, Tucson, AZ

I was a timer at my children’s swim meet last night. They swim for the Skyline Bel Air swim team. It was our first home meet of the season. It felt more like a late July day with the cloud cover, and the cooler temps that resulted. I snapped this picture, looking west at sunset. What a sunset it was! The sky looked like an artist’s canvas of pink and purple, causing the waning daylight to melt into evening. And then the nearly full moon magically appeared from behind the clouds, making the night come alive.  I’ve lived in Tucson for 22 years, and here I was last night, pinching myself, wondering, “Is this Tucson in early June?” This evening is no different, and it seems like it will be an equally captivating Friday June night. What a great reprieve from the heat! We are truly blessed to have such nice weather as we’ve had the last few days. Let’s hope it continues!

A woman at the swim meet told me that she heard that this was an El Nino year. If that’s true, then we should expect a wetter than normal rainfall. Perhaps that explains the rain we had in late May? Whatever it is, we are thankful for it here in the normally arid Tucson desert. By the way, the kids had a great time at the swim meet. That’s one of the things I love about Skyline Bel Air is the swim team, as it keeps the kids busy doing something constructive in the summer.