Every year, during the depths of a Arizona winter, I put in some time in Yuma. It is the only time of year that I can stand the place. But I have learned to laugh at my own maladjustment here. And there are things that help, such as shopping first thing in the morning, when traffic is tolerable. Afternoon traffic is awful.
I was in the Walmart getting some new tires, the first day. It seemed like I was the only adult male who wore long pants. But I was on my best behavior: not once did I roll my eyes at those goofy Canadian snowbirds, walking around in their shorts, and displaying their ugly legs in public.
The mere act of shopping is semi-comical. I blast through the store, pushing my cart at reckless speeds, and nearly having a couple crashes. The sooner the shopping is ended, the better! For one thing, I need to escape the music.
Then I stopped and stared quizzically at big blocks of cheese: why do they have 'mild cheddar' and 'medium cheddar?' People actually like food like that?
On the drive out to the campsite, I had to run the air conditioner in the van!
But let's be fair to Yuma. It is enjoyable to see the agriculture. And the rocks are actually round near my campsite -- and that is no small miracle -- because they are close to the Colorado River. Bicycle tires and dog paws are happy.
After a couple days of poor visibility, the visual crispness of the desert can be delightful.
Comments
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
It is very interesting how the culture in this country has changed. It was only a little over a 100 years ago that young boys were extremely proud of getting their first long legged pants.