It does not snow very often in the Arizona desert. The elevation of Phoenix is about 1500 feet above sea level. Tucson is another 1000 feet higher so we were more likely to have snow from time to time. One year it snowed twice during the winter months.
I will always remember the time it snowed in Tucson when our kids were young and we shared a memorable day together. We woke up in the morning and saw a nice dusting of snow in our back yard. The snow melted on the crushed granite ground cover but the snow that accumulated on the grass remained.
My wife dressed up the kids in warm winter jackets and they ran out of the house excited to play in real snow. We rolled up a couple of small round balls of snow and made a miniature snow man. Then we got the idea to go to a nearby park that had more grass to see if there was more snow to play with.
One of the things we did not anticipate was how much of the soft fluffy snow accumulated on the Manzanita trees in the park. The trees had low lying branches and were easy to reach. As we stood admiring the snow in the park our son Tim jumped up and grabbed a limb and shook the branch. Soft, fluffy snow covered his younger sisters standing beneath the tree. They squealed with surprise and delight. A snow ball fight quickly ensued as they sought revenge on their adversary. No one got hurt but is was a memorable time together playing in the snow in the desert.
When we finished playing in the park, we drove to the local McDonalds for hot chocolate and snacks. We had fun reminiscing about our adventure while the hot chocolate warmed us up.
Let me encourage you to take advantage of memorable moments. Don’t sit inside your house admiring the scenery. Pull out the winter clothes, put on the winter jackets and venture out into winter wonder land. Make a memory and take a few photos to capture the moment. You will be glad you did and your kids will too.
Read 365 more stories by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. Purchase two copies (one for yourself and give one to a friend) for only $30 plus $5 Postage. Order your books at markh@efreedb.org.
Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper 