[A guest blog spot by ISS Managing Editor Elaine Foxwell.]
Weather ... Too often we take it for granted, at least here in the desert. I was born in England, a very wet country, known for its dismal climate, overcast skies and its green, green countryside. But after more than 40 years toasting in Arizona, I forget the effects of a little too much rain. We dont suffer from the flood devastation that has plagued many in this country over the past few years, but we are impacted when it pours.
Until about a decade ago, Arizonans used to experience what was euphemistically called the monsoon season." Beginning in July and running through late August, we would get these incredible, almost daily storms with enough thunder, lightening and downpours to make even the god Thor happy. But global climate changes and the heat dome produced by Phoenixs rapid expansion has reduced our monsoons to only three or four squalls.
Arizona is in roughly its 10th year of drought, so I was guilty of forgetting rain can have a deleterious affect on us Zoniesuntil last week when we were hit with deluges from the sky. Not only did my 10-year-old roof decide to leak, part of my ceiling fell into one of my bedrooms. Talk about a panic!
Roof and ceiling have been fixed of course, but it made me realize how easy it is, during the press of all-things-daily, to overlook important items such as roof maintenance. I know many of you are in far more hostile climates and are dealing with huge blizzards, ice on the roads and nasty winds producing chills that feel sub-Arctic. And I know regular maintenance of your properties is probably very high on your to-do list. So I dont want to tell you things you probably already know and do. But my roof incident demonstrated how easy it is to overlook simple things that should be obvious. We all need to be vigilant and guard against Thors revenge!
On a final note, I want to send my sincere wishes to each and every one of you for a safe, happy, prosperous (and dry!) holiday season. See you next year!