Desert Magnolia

Timeline: 1:30 a.m. this morning, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Rain! Thunder! Lightning! And that fresher than fresh smell that accompanies the rain..that sweet, lovely, moist air, mmmmmm. Confession? I dreamed through it all. All of it. I woke up to puddles on the patio, droplets dripping from the roof, sparking moisture on the plants...but I somehow managed to snooze while all of this miraculous moisture was falling. And the lightning was flashing. And the thunder was booming. Someone is grateful, but a little bit sad that she missed it. But also, really? I can't remember the last time I slept so hard I managed to ignore the heavens opening up. The daily yoga must be working. Happy 4th, friends! -Stevie

It's Friday, and on the way into work I stopped at the Grove for a Vanilla steamer with a shot. Which is really a vanilla latte with only one shot, I'm told. Either way, it's delicious, and I'm glad I treated myself! This week has been a humdinger, as weeks go, and I am most delighted that the end of the business/school week is very, very near. About the rain, then. Living in the high desert requires a tolerance for very little moisture - ever - in the form that falls from the sky. We get occasional snow, and even less occasional rain. Usually what we get is extreme, like during our summer monsoon season which fills arroyos and removes topsoil from the base of the mountain all the way down the river valley. Or the bi-annual snow fall of 6-10" that shuts down the city for days. This lack of moisture makes us lust after raindrops like parched desert wanderers yearn for a cool, clear, drop of water to slake their thirst. Which is why, when we see a weather fore...