July 2014

We had a major downpour this afternoon as the monsoon thunderstorms descended upon Wickenburg late this afternoon. The skies darkened and the sheets of heavy rain came. It was raining so heavily at times that we could not see 500 feet. I braved the wind and rain long enough to get this shot of the RV drive flooding and the downspout from the gutter running off like a little Yosemite Falls.

We, and the dogs, were safe and sound inside while all this was going on. The dogs preferred to hibernate under their blankets through the worst of the storm. Click on the image to enlarge.

I took this photo of a towering cumulonimbus cloud forming over the Bradshaw Mountains north of Wickenburg earlier this afternoon. (Click on the image to enlarge.) At this time (~5:30 PM), clouds are forming overhead and we can hear the sound of thunder in the distance. Looking at the area radar, I can see precipitation moving generally toward us. I expect that we may be in for some more rain. We had showers two days ago that lasted late into the night.

Before we retired, Damsel and I would come to Arizona on vacation and would look forward to seeing the monsoons. We have been in them everywhere from Tucson to The Grand Canyon. Now, we can sit on the back patio or in the courtyard and see them when they come here. We love the smell of the creosote in the rain.