THE DAY BEGINS EARLY IN ARIZONA, at least it does at Casa Paul. Connie is the earliest bird. She is one of those unfortunates who can’t go back to sleep once awake so she rises at oh-dark-whatever. Paul, I’m assured, gets up before six on most days while I remain nestled all snug in my bed until half-six or a bit later.
Sperstition Sunsets for the Late-risers
Thanks to AZ’s position on the western side of Mountain Time Zone, even a slug-a-bed like me gets to see some of the most spectacular sunrises in America. Even before the sun appears the clouds are haloed in gold and the sky glows pink and before exploding into crimson. The view is partially hidden from the house by privacy walls but Connie, who is usually a half-mile into the desert when the curtain goes up, has gotten some primo views. But if you play your cards right you can catch some equally picturesque sunsets, too.
All that stands between us and archeology
Dust is just a fact of life in the desert . . . just like scorpions and cactus thorns. The nearby housing construction just makes things worse. It’s easy to see how entire civilizations of desert-dwellers have vanished from history under meters and meters of dust, only to be rediscovered centuries later. Even with Helen, Paul’s pet Roomba, patrolling the house and air-purifiers chugging, if Liz and Rosa didn’t clean every couple of weeks, Paul and all his possessions might succumb to the sands of time.
