by Dru Bloomfield on July 20, 2010
June is the month were many of the highest recorded temps have been recorded, but with its lower humidity doesn’t feel quite as hot as July and August, when the humidity of monsoon season arrives. Whether it’s heat, humidity, sprinkles, lightning, wind, or a true rainstorm, the weather at this time of year varies as much as it ever does.
This week’s forecast:
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In July, we wake up to morning clouds and gorgeous sunrises, that often burn off to a clear blue sky. By mid-day, the thunderheads start building around the city. At the end of the day, we might get some rain, but more often than not, it’s "just another gorgeous sunset"!
Corrected 7/22/2010: First paragraph originally stated that June is our hottest month. From the National Weather Service web site, I found the historical data showing that this was not the case. See: Phoenix AZ Monthly Temperature from 1896 to Present (Thanks to Sage Dillon, Arizona native, for catching this one!)
by Dru Bloomfield on July 4, 2010
Hard to believe that the Sunday night concert season at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is tonight! These free summer concerts are a 25-year tradition at the train park, and now attract about 3,000 people, so get there early and know that you will probably need to park in the overflow parking across the street to the north.
Furious George will play from 7:30 to 9 p.m. (The newspaper says no fireworks.)
If it’s your first time to attend, bring blankets, chairs, food and drink (no glass!), then spread out and enjoy the music in a really, relaxed atmosphere. Food is also available for purchase. Train tickets are $2 and the carousel is a $1.
More Concert Info
Related Reading:
by Dru Bloomfield on June 24, 2010
Monsoon season started June 15th this year. A couple years ago weather experts decided that the “season” would start on this date every year, rather than by the weather pattern based on average daily dew point.
This weather-based criteria was important to home owners who used evaporative cooling to supplement their standard air conditioners. “Evap” coolers were much cheaper to run (my brother once told me 25% of the cost), but require a very low humidity to be effective, so could only be used until monsoon season started.
Now that air conditioners are so much more efficient, homeowners of the older homes that still have these evap units are most-often not replacing them when they die.
I doubt that the official start date really has anything to do with air conditioning, but it does signal the time of year when our humidity does start to rise, so we do start to see clouds much more often. And with clouds, we get some incredibly beautiful sunrises.
Like a few of my favorites from last year:
References for Arizona’s Monsoon Season:
by Dru Bloomfield on June 18, 2010
photo credit: Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale
The 34th annual Mighty Mud Mania is today, June 19th, 2010, from 8:30am to 2pm at Chaparral Park, located at 5401 N. Hayden Road in Scottsdale. Parking is fairly limited, so there will be shuttles from Mohave Elementary School which is located on the northeast corner of Jackrabbit and Granite Reef.
Map of Park, Parking, and Shuttle Service
Mud Mania was first held in 1976 as a promotional gimmick for Johnson’s Wax “Shout” spray pre-way. The company handed out 300 white t-shirts for participants, but the Arizona mud was just too much to the pre-wash, so Johnson dropped it’s sponsorship. However, the event was so successful that the city took it over as the “culminating activity of all the Scottsdale Parks and Recreation summer programs“.
I’ve been riding by the park watching the preparations for the last several weeks. Thursday, I stopped to take a few photos of the pits that were all ready for the big event. I also ran into Jan Cameron, Director of Scottsdale Parks and Recreation, who was surveying the scene. She mentioned that the event was being held on Saturday this year, so that more parents could watch and participate. She said the event was also being held earlier in the summer so the turf would have more time to recover for falls sports.
Here’s another photo of a mud pit ready for water and kids. It’s huge!
photo credit: Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale
Today, there will lots of mud pits (with age group designations), giant mudslides, sandcastle building, and a hose-off. Swimming at Chaparral Pool is on a buck, but you must have a clean swim to get in!
Below are a couple photos from last year’s event. It really is amazing how muddy everybody gets, and how many adults spend the day in this mud soup!
The Scottsdale Fire Department was and will be on hand to hose everyone off afterwards!
Event details are here: City of Scottsdale’s Mighty Mud Mania page
by Dru Bloomfield on June 4, 2010
Last weekend, I was over at Pavilions Shopping Center, located between Pima Road in Scottsdale and the 101 freeway, on Indian Bend Road, when I happened to glimpse north past the old movie theatre. I noticed this great view of the new Diamondback’s spring stadium, currently under construction and scheduled to open Spring 2011.
I snapped a few photos to share and spent a little time finding out more about the stadium, since I hadn’t really heard much since the original announcement.
From SpringTrainingOnline.com, I learned quite a bit of background info from the original announcement, including:
Scheduled to open in Spring Training 2011, the new spring-training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies should raise the bar for spring-training facilities, according to HKS’s Mo Stein, who gave us a sneak preview of the project.
I suggest reading the rest of their full post, Diamondbacks/Rockies spring-training complex, which has lots of good info about the size, location, plus a reminder of the spectacular views of the McDowell Mountains.
Today, the Arizona Republic announced: Arizona Diamondbacks’ spring-training site named. They’ve included some history of the name, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, as well as a more comprehensive slide show. We’re still nine months away from the first game, but I’m already excited to get out to the stadium, watch some baseball, enjoy the weather, and get in some fun people watching. Looks like it’s going to be a great venue.
Diamondback’s Original Press Release Announcing Site: Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community announces new Spring Training site for Arizona Diamondbacks & Colorado Rockies
Site plan: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Site Plan (which shows 12 other fields besides the stadium)
Slide Show: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick
by Dru Bloomfield on May 23, 2010
Echo Coffee opened a little over a month ago, and fills a much-needed niche in South Scottsdale. Locals were some of the first through the door, and they congratulated, and thanked, owner Steve Belt, for opening an independent coffee shop in their neighborhood.
From its Grand Opening press release:
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (05.04.10)- Offering a fresh outlook on starting your day with a friendly smile, Echo Coffee has opened in South Scottsdale with the motto that the community around the coffee shop is what’s most important. From the modern comfortable décor to the numerous meeting spots throughout, Echo Coffee hopes customers will not only grab a great cup of coffee, but take a few minutes to relax and maybe meet a new friend.
The store has been open for less than two weeks, and already Echo has seen a steady stream of coffee enthusiasts interested in the modern but homey coffee shop. Belt, former real estate agent, always loved his time spent in coffee shops and wanting a change in pace. His new venture emphasizes this more tranquil outlook on life. “I loved starting my day by coming to a coffee shop, sitting and talking with my neighbors and colleagues. In my shop I wanted to combine a great product with a viable third place location.”
Each drip coffee is made to order at the pour over bar, where the barista pours hot water over the freshly ground coffee. Belt has hired chef Carylann Wootton, formerly of Liberty Market in Gilbert, to create a menu emphasizing fresh, organic ingredients. The pastries and light lunch menu include fare such as pecan and cranberry salad, curry chicken sandwich, hot pressed Italian sandwich, and various scones, breads, and pastries.
I stopped in early on and got a coffee roasting demonstration from Steve.
From green coffee beans…..
…. to the beautifully roasted.
And, of course, Steve sells these fresh beans by the pound, too.
Great coffee…
I find myself looking for an excuse to head over to grab an exceptional cup of coffee and catch up with Steve. Not only am I glad to see a new business opening in South Scottsdale, it’s wonderful to see a friend going after a dream and doing it well.
The food is excellent too! Menu
To contact Echo Coffee, visit www.echocoffee.com, or call 480-422-4081.
Echo Coffee on Facebook
Echo Coffee on Twitter
Echo Coffee is located at 2902 North 68th Street on the northwest corner of 68th Street and Thomas Road. Business hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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