It's Raining!

So this actually took place a week and a half ago but I haven't been able to post it until now. Arizona gets great rain storms and as we were coming out of church around 3:30 one afternoon it just started pouring down on us. Mind you, it is still nearly 100 degrees outside and my car doesn't have air conditioning so our choice was between getting soaked through and being sweltering hot in the car. We chose somewhere in the middle. By the time we drop our nephews off at their home and drive the less than 3 miles between the church and our house the streets are flooded, we are soaked, and the golf course across the street looks like this... Yes, that is really a stream of water flowing down the hill onto the golf course. You can tell it is not a small stream. There was a lake at the bottom and there were trees flowing down the hill.

So what do we Arizonians do? Carpe diem. That is a free waterslide.

Again, remember, it is the middle of July in Phoenix, it is about 100 degrees with humidity that is off the charts for us people that are used to the dry heat. So what better way to cool down.

Someone even brought a wakeboard and rode it down the hill. It looked like so much fun.

I tried to convince Josh to go, but that whole Sabbath day holy stuff. Oh yeah, and there were a couple of girls that "forgot" their swimsuits so I didn't try to convince him too much. What fun though.

Chop Chop

My excitement this fourth of July weekend consisted of getting my hair cut and colored. I am so excited. I did love having long hair but the 110 degree weather in Arizona doesn't love it as much. I cut off at least 7 inches and colored it a bit darker. I am so excited with the results. It is wonderful. Here is the before picture and here is what I look like now. It is still pretty long but is a lot more manageable and it actually has some style. WooHoo!

Barlow Family Reunion

My husband is better than yours!

I had a particularily trying week at work last week and on Thursday night my wonderful husband gave me these!
That's right one dozen, long-stemmed, bulls-eye, red roses. Now don't get any ideas, he is taken and he is a keeper!

Josh's Field School

In order to finish his geology degree, Josh had to take a field geology class where he spent three weeks in Payson, Arizona hiking and mapping the mountains all day. He didn't get cell phone service where he was so I rarely got to talk to him. Ironically, the Sunday after he got back, my work sent me to Yuma for two weeks so we will have gone for five weeks with only seeing each other on weekends. It hasn't been very much fun but hopefully it will be over soon. Here are some pictures of Josh's adventures in Payson.

This is a view of Box Canyon

This is a rat snake they found there.

This is a bear that wandered into camp. Look close, he is behind the tree in front.

Scenic view.

A eagle's nest

1.6 Billion year old fossilized ripple marks!

Nature's ampitheater

Wild strawberries. There was also wild oregano in the area.

A cabin guest.

Some of the fossils Josh collected.