Patch of Blue

The sky closed up this evening leaving this little opening in the clouds. It may rain later. At the least we will get some wind and perhaps a lightening display.

Watched a program on KAET, the PBS channel here in Phoenix, called Saguaro: Sentinel of the Desert. Was not a recent production, from 1989, though one was able to interpret issues of climate change in the Sonoran Desert without the hysteria of "global warming."For instance the droopy arms of this giant were caused by a freeze sometime in the past.

The greatest threat to the Saguaro is loss of habitat. Grasses imported to feed cattle have encroached on native habitat and greatly increased the occurrence of wildfires. The Saguaro can be fatally damaged by fire.

Blue Sky Days

Saw a chinese movie called "Up the Yangtze." It dealt with the Three Gorges Dam in human terms. The family depicted had been relocated as the waters rose and would be moving again soon as their little plot of land and hut were inundated.

The father was ostracized during the cultural revolution -- his father had been an official with the nationalists -- so he had been denied any opportunity for education and had been only able to get coolie labor wages. So when they had been forced out of their home, they squatted on a hillside and raised chickens and grew their own food.

The daughter had just completed middle school and wanted to go on to high school and university, but both her parents convinced her instead to put off her schooling and get a job on a cruise boat on the river. Her wages would help her parents and two young siblings to survive.

The documentary also displays the pollution problems of China (and not just Beijing) -- on the river as waters rise and become filled with trash of all kinds and in the skies as the sun always has a murky orange tint.

The film's website has a request for donations to the Yu family. www.uptheyangtze.com

Evening Color

International Forgiveness Day

There was a call yesterday about a radio show on NPR, a program that we don't get in Mesa called Weekend America.

http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/08/02/prison/

The interesting segment dealt with forgiveness and healing. Today is International Forgiveness Day, and we do well to always remember the positive impact that letting go and forgiveness have on healing.

A bit of color with the dawn this morning, August 1st. Yesterday the high temperature was about 112° and the low this morn began about 90°, whew. There have been 21 days with highs of 110 or above so far this season. Forecasts are for more of the same through the weekend. The clouds indicate a bit of moisture in the atmosphere, and that may bring rain by Monday or Tuesday of next week. This is my fifth summer in the Valley of the Sun.