Thunderstorms, Cold air and Sunshine

 This year is pretty different from our last years stay at Quartzsite. 

So far, we had never experienced cold or rain in this area. 

JP taking a photo of a dead Saguaro Cactus

Not so this time. Grey days arrived and several layers of clothes was asked for.

Showers are moving in

We got a torrential rainfall 

with the occasional thunder and then much colder air moved in. 

Water droplets splashing on the ground

Mid-day temperatures crashed from balmy 75F (25C) down to 57F (14C). 

Water accumulation on the desert floor

Puddles were everywhere.

A bit of a rainbow over the mountains at sunset

This morning the desert was a sea of water droplets.

Millions of droplets on everything

Saguaro Cacti

Balancing cactus act

Those thorns not for the faint of heart

Yellow-rumped Warbler, after the downpour

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Translation for my German readers

Dieses Mal war das Wetter doch ganz anders als in the vorherigen Jahren. 

Es gab ein paar graue Tage mit heftigen Regenschauer, 

kurze Gewitter und nachfolgend die Kälte. 

Die Temperaturen sanken von 25Grad auf nur 14Grad. 

Überall sammelte sich das Wasser auf dem harten Wüstenboden. 

Am nächsten Morgen waren die Wüstenpflanzen noch 

mit Millionen von Wassertropfen bedeckt. 

Doch die Sonne schien wieder und es wird auch langsam wieder wärmer. 

Ein Gelbbüschelrohrsänger sieht noch ziemlich naß aus.

Making Puddles into Art

Suggestion: To enlarge a photo - double click on it.

The day started out pretty good. We got 50° F (10°C)! Not too bad for 

Alberta in January. A few more degrees and we would have had the same as in Las Vegas, NV - they reported 57°F (14°C) today.

With the warm temperatures the snow is melting rapidly.

Water is dripping from the gutters and puddles are growing everywhere. 

Luckily I still own a pair of cleats to attach to my shoes. 

Many times I was on the brink to throw them into the "garage sale" bin. 

Good that I didn't. 

Today, walking the dog would have been more like skating.

After having conquered an hour along treacherous icy sidewalks 

I decided the part in front of "our" property 

did need some work. 

I grabbed the ice-spade and set to work. 

Within a few minutes the slushy ice was removed. 

After the walk, and after the chore was done, 

I enjoyed my hard earned cup of coffee, 

and checked through the photos I happened to take today. 

Lots of slushy roads!
Boring, I thought. 

But wait - and I took a closer look at them. 

I found some:

"Modern paintings"

Black and White

Silver Jewellery 

Ice Cave

Bubbles and Leaf

If you want to know what it is, 

you have to look further down the page,  

after summary for aunt Inge.

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Aunt Inge's Zusammenfassung

Heute war es ziemlich warm für Januar. +10°C! 

Ich musste mir "Spikes" unter die Schuhe schnallen, 

die Gehwege waren furchtbar glatt. 

Nach dem Spaziergang mit dem Hund 

habe ich dann noch unseren Teil vor dem Haus vom Eis befreit. 

Ich hatte ein paar Photos von all dem Schneematsch gemacht, 

und entdeckt das man sie bei näherer Betrachtung
als moderne Kunst gehen lassen könnte. 

Und ein Schneehäschen war auch dabei.

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The original Photos:

Water puddle on the sidewalk for leaf and jewellery

Reflections for ice cave (upside down)

A fence for: black and white

Opps! What is there in the far corner by the fence?

An "Easter Bunny", 

aka snow shoe hare, in it's white winter coat!
Cute!