Waiting (Impatiently) for Fall

This summer has been a long hot one in Albuquerque. We’ve seen our share of days with temperatures climbing into the high 90s, and a few when it topped 100 degrees. Two things make these temperatures tolerable – low humidity and the promise of an immediate drop in temperature once the sun sets. Of course, during the short monsoon season, when we are blessed by late afternoon and evening thunder showers, the humidity does rise some.

Albuquerque’s children return to school on August 20. It seems so early! But that means that my favorite season, Fall, isn’t far behind. Here in Albuquerque Fall announces itself with "elephant ears" and deep fried turkey legs at the State Fair; the pungent scent of roasting chiles; children winding their way through corn field mazes; hot air balloons dancing in the sky; traditional festivals (such as the Burning of Zozobra), and brilliant yellow cottonwoods bordering the Rio Grande.

I'm trying to be patient, though, because we still have a few weeks of sizzling summer weather before Fall arrives. Tomorrow's high is predicted to be 97 degrees.