Well, we arrived seven days late, had to cancel a planned 5-day stop between South Padre Island and here, but have finally arrived in sunny Tucson, Arizona. In a way it doesn’t feel like Christmas. There is no snow on the ground, the average temperature is around 65 during the day and upper 30’s at night. I have a meager supply of Christmas decorations which I was finally able to put out upon our arrival, but it just doesn’t have the Christmas feel I am used to.
One thing we will remember in the future, when traveling and doing a quick overnight in a Walmart parking lot, the lot is very busy and very full on the last Saturday before Christmas! The one we stayed at in El Paso, Texas had a Texas Roadhouse restaurant within walking distance, so we did have a good, but very noisy dinner. Shop-till-you-drop shoppers get hungry!
The positive side is the KOA campground we are in has citrus trees on every site and while staying here you are welcome to walk around and pick whatever fruit you can use. Yesterday I went out and picked a couple grapefruit, four oranges and about five lemons (I’m going to make old-fashioned lemonade). Boy is fruit fresh off the tree way better than store-bought!
Photo found on internet
As Murphy’s Law would have it, we arrived Sunday in a city that has 360 days of sun per year. Today, Christmas Eve, it rained a good portion of the day and is forecast to rain again this evening, and then again tomorrow. Thursday should be partly sunny, and then rain is predicted for Friday and Saturday. Go figure I would get four of the five days of yearly rain almost immediately upon arrival. On a positive note, the remaining 98 days I will be in the this state should be bright and sunny.
My Christmas Eve has been quiet, as will Christmas Day tomorrow. I will miss having my kids and grandchildren coming to the house to open gifts. The noise, chaos, and mess as gifts are opened and paper strewn around are what makes the holiday. The positive is that I do not have to deal with snow, ice, or bitter cold. Everything has a negative and a positive.
Whether you are experiencing Christmas in a winter wonderland or a tropical paradise, I wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas.
--- LIFE IS A MELTING POT --- Grace Grogan...Writer, Photographer 