You Know You’ve Been in the Desert Too Long When….
There are times in your life when you realize you’re enjoying yourself too much. Or rather, something keeps nagging at you that you shouldn’t be enjoying it quite so much, but somehow you just doggone diddly-do-ha can’t help it. We had a day like that yesterday. Paul, pooch and myself were walking the 1/2 mile through the canyon to the next campground for a shower, and it was all so…well…fabulous -> the cactus, the dry, dusty ground, the brown canyon walls…the whole darn lot of it.
“You know honey, I think I may have been in the desert too long”, I remarked to my other half “I’m starting to like this place way too much”.
Well, if that ain’t a lead-in I don’t know what is, and of course it created an avalanche of banter and hilarity at my expense for the rest of the walk. During this Letterman-moment we came up with our very own top 10, subsequently wine-enhanced and paw-approved. And of course, we had so much fun doing it we just had to share it.
So here you go…
You Know You’ve Been in the Desert Too Long When…
1/ You automatically strap on a water bottle for the 30 sec walk to the loo
2/ You’re able to disco dance through a field of cactus without getting stuck
3/ You can name 20 obscure cacti off the top of your head
4/ You consider anything greater than 10% humidity to be a “moist” day
5/ You skin looks identical to the rattlesnake sitting next to you…and you’re fine with both
6/ A 20% chance of precipitation is considered a notable weather event
7/ You start to question the world existence of mosquitoes
8/ You persist in wearing long pants, thermal socks and a fleece until the thermometer hits 80°F (27°C)
9/ The howling pack of coyotes outside your RV has turned into a soothing bedtime lullaby
And of course, you definitely know you’ve been too long in the desert when…
10/ You find it beyond hilarious to come up with a top 10 list about how you know you’ve been in the desert too long!
Enjoy your week-end, wherever you are!
Love the top 10. Those are so, so true.
We definitely had fun coming up w/ the list! Nina
Great list! You can have my share of the desert! Enjoy!
The desert is definitely an aquired taste 🙂 Nina
Martha and I could really relate to this post and had a good laugh. One more way you know you’ve been in the desert too long is that you tend to leave many things outside because you know it will never rain. And your assumption is correct, because even when rain is forecast, it doesn’t happen.
LOL…oh, I LOVE it and it’s so true!! We’ve had “rain” forecast for the past 6
days here in Northern NM, and it’s not even come close to a single drop.
And we DO keep all our stuff out for that very reason.
Nice one!!
Nina
haha…great post! You crazy kids probably need to get to a coast and splash some water on your faces. =)
We’re getting there!! Will be somewhere on the coast by winter.
Gotta get hubby back on that surfboard and myself back in the ocean!
Nina
What a cute idea. You two COULD and maybe SHOULD write for Letterman!
Hehe…now there’s a new way to make money on the road!
Nina
Truer words have not been spoken. I feel in love with the desert southwest while stationed in CA.
Glad you approve 🙂 It’s a wierd and wonderful place!!
Nina
We particularly agree with #4, about the humidity! And of course, we wear long pants every day of the year when we’re down there in SE Arizona! Thanks for the chuckle this morning!
I do too! Paul always asks me why I never wear shorts, but
long pants just seem a better option in the desert!
Nina
Isn’t it great that there is something to love about all parts of our world? And people to love all those parts?
Indeed! I love all the variety and diversity in the world!
Nina
Ah, just found your website and so glad I did! I have to comment on your “been in the desert too long” list, especially noticing that you wrote it in June. You may have been a bit delirious walking through the desert that time of year! Now I’m off to read everything you’ve written here! Great website!
Grace (in Tucson)
Haha…yeah, I think we were drunk on the desert 🙂 Thankfully we were in what
you’d call “high” desert…a bit cooler than those lower elevations.
So happy you found us!
NIna
Aw man, now you’ve got me missing the desert again…specially since I’ve spent the last year and a half in the ‘land of wet’, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Hoping to be on the road soon…