California sent us water -- lots of it

Normally, the Lincoln Street creek crossing at Miller Valley is where the illegals gather daily to wait for job offers. But not yesterday. Those much publicized SoCal storms made it here Saturday night. By Sunday afternoon, the creeks that come together at Lincoln were roaring mountain streams
.Not really that deep, but a stream like this runs very fast and can sweep a car downstream before you know it. There have been at least two drivers drowned trying to cross the creek right here, during the time I've lived in Prescott.

Sson drove us up the White Spar to the Granite Creek crossing at Schoolhouse Gulch campground. Plenty of water here!

And here is the Park Avenue bridge across Aspen Creek, normally a trickle. More rain and possibly snow is promised for later this week. We should have a n absolutely gorgeous display of wild flowers down in the desert this February-March -- the rains have been almost perfect. Springtime in the mountains should be beautiful as well. Of course, there's also the much greater importance of this break in our long drought. BTW, 2007-8 were supposed to be La Nina years, i.e., very dry.

Summer Waning, It Must Be Halloween!

Today was a Very Good Day. Weatherman, 0%; plants and critters, 100%. We had a totally unpredicted late summer rain, on and off for much of the day. The clouds gathered over the mountains, as they do during the monsoon season, and then proceeded to let loose. After a very dry August, it was needed.

But, for me, it was also a strange day. As it was for this poor snail who's backtracking on his own slime trail on one of my very wet stumps. Is this guy stuck for eternity going back and forth on his own trail?

But I had to go to Fry's -- where it turned out that summer was on sale, for the grown-ups as well as...

...for the little ones. Right next to the umbrella-ed table is a sure sign of what's ahead.

Yes, you guessed it, Halloween, the season which follows summer like night follows day. At least in the world of Marketing Man. BTW, on Sunday, saw a costumed placard lady at the foot of Grove street promoting the temporary Halloween store that's settled into the old Breuner's furniture building on Gurley Street. A very suitable, cave-like venue, I'd say.

Still at Fry's. Marketing man, again, albeit with a summer orientation. Who but an adman would think to disparage water ice by calling it wet ice? It would appear that the Penguin Dry Ice people have to cope with a world in which it's necessary to explain their product to potential customers. People who've never heard of, must less used, dry ice! Back in the G.O.D. (Good Old Days), every kid knew all about the wonders of dry ice.

And finally, yet another product for the modern world -- a vending machine that, what, converts coins to cash??? Huh? Just incidentally, taking 8.9% off the top.

Canyon Links: Nothing could be more Arizona than a raft trip through the Grand Canyon; over at the One Acre Wood, enjoy a three-part adventure down the Colorado. There's another deep canyon that very few have visited, in part because it's located on private land, the huge Baca Float/O RO Ranch. A fortunate blogger describes a day trip down into the upper Burro Creek watershed.

Rainy Day Pictures

Even if I lived in rain country, I think I would try to catch the essence of a rain storm. This morning our rain turned to hail briefly, hence the "rain" streaks in some photos.

The mountain mahogany captures rain drops and holds them briefly.

Not a day of harsh Arizona sun contrasts!

And the water starts heading downhill for the sea. But we'll collect it instead behind a dam.