I want some coffee!

... monsoon season is almost upon us! Gratuitous sunset photo here at SKP Saguaro Co-op in Benson, AZ...  nothing to do with the monsoon forecast. I suppose if you made your home in India or Thailand you would find our use of 'monsoon' a little- mmm... overstated. But our summer weather pattern meets the criteria: prevailing winds that originate over the Pacific Ocean then travel inland before turning a little North to follow loosely the East-face of the Rocky Mountains toward Canada while also spreading East to Great Lakes. This annual occurrence is the primary source of moisture for those of us living down here in the San Pedro Valley of Eastern Arizona. Well, the monsoon and the San Pedro River which flows North out if Mexico into the USA.  And fwiw*, the San Pedro River is the only river to flow North out of Mexico into the USA. So now you know. This is what NWS (National Weather Service) has to say about 2025 monsoon here in Arizona- 2025 NWS forecast for Arizona. Tucson ...

Just the thing to cause heat stroke in June! Looking East down the 300 Row (lots 302 thru 324 are on the left) toward the Dragoons.   As my old cruising friend Michael would say "it's bloody hot!" June is the worst month cuz monsoons haven't started and, as of 13 June as I type this, they are still about 23 days away (yeah, they're usually that predictable). A local told us about 15 years ago that monsoon season starts here in Benson on about 6 July so we have a few weeks left to whine. And naturally I'm doing my best to play the part! Early mornings have been spectacular- clear and in the upper 60's. But the morning walk needs to be done and dusted by 0800 cuz it's gonna get pretty ugly after that. In preparation I tried to get ahead in my coffee roasting but I only was able to do about 8 extra pounds. At 3 lbs. per week it's not enough. Bummer. So I need to brave it one morning and do a few more lbs. Life in the fast lane that is Benson, AZ. 

I'd bet a nickel I've used that title before. It's a no-brainer- it's always getting hot in the San Pedro Valley! Or at least that's how it feels. And sunsets are still spectacular even when snapped from the porch with a cell phone- Sunset from the landing outside our front door. Temps are creeping up as they do in the latter part of spring. We will probably see our first 100°+ day before this posts at the end of May. It's actually been milder than we have seen some years so there's no room for complaint. Well... unless I have a specific request to whine. I can certainly do that if needed!! Snowbirds started heading toward the travel-door well before the end of April. Not sure what those folks found when they got back to their home turf but I suspect it was not terrible weather. Well... unless you live in Telluride, CO (a ski area) where a friend is spending his summer: they had more snow a few days ago (19 May?). But then that's Colorado at over 10,000...

I got a WhatsApp call this morning (Tuesday 27 Mar) from friend Michael ( Conchscooter ) from where their Promaster van had broken down in Ma ñ azo, Peru. The last I heard their van had been loaded aboard a flat bed transport truck (it barely fit!) and was headed back to Arequipa, Peru- about 140 miles in the reverse direction.  GANNET 2 strapped down and ready for the 140+ mile trip to Arequipa, Peru. The issue? The tranny had stuck in 3rd gear, they had very little power when they were trying to move, and the engine overheated as they worked their way to a small town in Peru just North of L. Titicaca. They arrived safely in Arequipa and this morning talked to a transmission mechanic (Wed, 28 Mar), scheduled the repairs, and will be towed there to have the transmission removed, inspected and repaired/rebuilt.  Once the transmission is out of the van they'll have the towed van back to the campground where Michael and Rusty will hang out till repairs are complete....