In Southeastern Arizona….
When I was about 10 years old our family took a road trip to visit my mom’s sister who lived with her family in Culver City, California. On the way we pulled over into a parking lot somewhere around Barstow on route 66. This was in 1960 or thereabouts. It was night and there were no lights for miles around except one bare bulb outside the lone rest stop building. We had to make a potty break, I guess. Barstow, if you don’t know already, is smack dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert. When we debarked from the car a very hot wind was blowing. A wind that grabbed my attention. A wind that I’d never felt before and I’ll never forget the feeling.
The wind that is blowing outside our house right now here in Southeastern Arizona is just like that Mojave wind. Dry. Hot. All encompassing.
I was fooled the first two summers we were here. I was so fooled that I wanted to rename Arizona Verdizona. Because arid did not seem to apply there was so much rain and green everywhere. I would have been wrong, oh, so wrong though. Those two years were an anomaly of heavy monsoon rains. Last summer it was more like what it normally is. Unless you ask a local. They say, “It used to rain every afternoon like clockwork! I want to scream what are you talking about? Where did you live, I’d like to know? Not here!
Still I’m glad I don’t live where there’s a lot of humidity. I remember that all too well from when I was growing up in good ole Io-way.
R L Benoit - Writer/Artist 
Ah yes, Barstow. Spent a long weekend there one night. My college friend & I were on spring break from UNM in Albuquerque. We had hitched a ride from Venice Beach but we were now stuck in Barstow after 10PM. Naturally no vehicle traffic was willing to stop for 2 grubby looking bums on the side of the road. Only way to get back to ABQ in time for school was to ride the train. Problem was, neither of us had enough $$ to buy tickets. Ended up calling my Dad who purchased the tickets over the phone and we hopped aboard. Don’t remember anything else until we were awakened by the conductor when the train pulled into ABQ. We all do dumb things in our youth but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Regards, John Bland
Yes indeed. I’m writing a memoir about all my dumb things. (smart things too but they ain’t as interesting). We stayed overnight in Barstow on our trailer trip in 2020. Only a special type of person can live full time in Barstow.
Went thru Barstow several times as an adult. Only did adult things like stop long enough to fill up the tank. 😬👍 Regards, John Bland
I don’t do well in heat so I couldn’t even consider that area. Sonora is hot enough
I know Sonora very well. Yes, indeed, it is hot enough. Only Las Vegas is worse in my opinion. Like stepping into an oven and one’s skin feels like it is crisping.