Summer is my favorite season. Why? There's sun and heat and hiking and good eats and so much more. I've written plenty of serious posts lately, so I thought I'd use today to give you a taste of what it's like to summer in Arizona.
Fire. Be fire-wise in Arizona, but also be forewarned that fires are part of our lives. They serve their purpose in clearing out death and decay, but they are also very dangerous. This fire was close to our home, but thankfully got put out quickly.
The rodeo.
And the rodeo parade. We have the World's Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, and going to it each year is a major tradition in my family.
Hiking. The lakes are low, but they are still beautiful.
Concerts. No, I'm not a King and Country roadie, but I have seen them twice this year.
Sunrises.
And sunsets. Days are long and hot here in the summer, but the mornings and evenings make it all worth it.
Cantaloupe. A refreshing treat on hot days.
And cookouts. Because why cook inside when you can leave the heat outdoors?
Fourth of July. We had no fireworks this year due to the drought, but I had my own two candles to celebrate year two in Arizona.
Monsoons look like they're starting to come. They aren't my favorite, but we do need the moisture.
Summers in Arizona are no doubt kind of crazy, but that's the way things go. There's a reason I call my Instagram My Arizona Adventure! Life is an adventure, and I'm thankful for it.
If you don't think about the heat, summer is a pretty awesome time to live in Arizona, especially because we live close to Prescott, which was once the territorial capital. Old cities mean festivities!
Here a few festivities we've enjoyed lately: (Sorry for the poor photos)
The World's Oldest Rodeo! There's debate about whether or not Prescott really has the oldest rodeo, but I don't care because it's an awesome show! Pro riders come from all over the United States and world (one from Australia this year!) to compete, and points count towards the pro rodeo championship. Plus, the half-time (if you can call it that) shows are pretty cool. Wild Child performed the night we attended, and he jumped his motorcycle over a full truck and trailer! That takes skill.
After the rodeo comes the rodeo parade, a full two-hour affair with lots of horses, my favorite. Seriously this is one of the best parades I've ever been to. Someday I might go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade or the Rose Bowl parade, but this is as good as it gets around here.
Cookout, fireworks, and flag cake! These are Fourth of July traditions in our home.
Cookout foods vary from year to year, but this year, it was hamburgers with sides of baked beans (one of my favorite cookout sides), lettuce, tomatoes, and veggies with homemade ranch dip. Yum!
Our city was the only one of the three cities in our area that had fireworks (due to the Goodwin fire). The show was pretty awesome with multiple mortars shot up at once, various shapes, sizes and colors of fireworks, and an intense grand finale.
Flag cake is a layer of pound cake topped with a layer of blueberries and strawberries, whipped cream, and another layer of blueberries and strawberries to form a flag. We've made it every year since I was 9 or 10.
And this year, I got a candle in my piece of flag cake to celebrate a year of my adventures here. Here's to many more!
