Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Well I'm Your Huckleberry


I have recently come across a blog, appropriately named, Blogtrotting.  Go check it out if you haven't already.  Sign up, and sign into the region in which you live.  Then, when it's your turn, you post about your home! When it's not your turn, you can blogtrot all over the world meeting new people, and learning about new places.  So for my readers who are not a part of Blogtrotting, go join the fun!

So welcome to the Grand Canyon State (just click the link to see some amazing photographs), state capitol, Phoenix.  It is home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and to me ;) Oh, and let's not forget the infamous fight that went down at the OK corral in Tombstone, Az.  Yep...the very one which was made into a movie.  The very one where Val Kilmer, portraying Doc Holiday, says *insert post title*.

Seeing as how I am not a fan of really long posts, I aim to keep this brief...filling you with some fun trivia about our hellishly hot state.  In case you are related to our local scorpion, and you live under a rock, you should know first and foremost that Arizona is hot. H-O-T.  I mean 115 degrees for consecutive days and weeks hot. That's pretty much when we hole ourselves up in air condidtioned spaces, fanning ourselves while cabana boys feed us grapes.  Well, at least the first part is true.

Winter months are glorious, hovering around a brisk 65-75 degrees.  Old timers Snow birds flock to our state in overwhelmingly annoying numbers.  They overtake our shopping centers, restaurants and roads...leaving the natives restless and edgy.

We have snakes.  All types, but none so well known and smartly feared as the rattlesnake.  The Western Diamond Back is perhaps the largest and most intimidating. 

As I mentioned above, we have scorpions.  The most prevelant is also the most poisonous.  It's the Arizona Bark Scorpion.  It's sting is rarely fatal, but dangerous none the less.

Roadrunners and coyotes make their way over our property and through our streets on a daily basis.  I should clarify that this is not true for all inhabitants of AZ.  We happen to live somewhat on the outskirts of town, bringing us closer to all the critters.  Javelina also run the streets. 

Arizona produces more than 1 million metric tons of lettuce each year.  Go have a salad on us!


The Castilian and Burgundian flags of Spain, the Mexican flag, the Confederate flag and the flag of the United States have all flown over the land area that has become Arizona.

In 1926, the Southern Pacific Railroad connected Arizona with the eastern states.

Arizona produces more copper than any other state. This is the reason for the copper star in the center of the Arizona state flag.

The original London Bridge was shipped stone-by-stone and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City.

The world's largest solar telescope is located at Kitts Peak National Observatory in the city of Sells.

Arizona is one of two U.S. states that do not observe Daylight Savings Time (we're such rebels).

Arizona's Valley of the Sun has more golf courses per capita than any other state west of the Mississippi River—2.5 million golfers litter the greens every year.

Saguaro catcti, which can grow as high as a five-story building, are native to Arizona.  This one is right in our backyard.

In the words of the great Porky Pig (who, consequently, is not from Arizona), that's all folks!



36 comments:

sheila said...

We vacationed a couple yrs back in Sedona and it hooked us all. We're planning to retire to AZ provided we have anything left to retire with/on...lol.

Great post!!! Makes my heart all warm and fuzzy. Except the snakes part. :)

Heather said...

That was neat to read! You are a great writer. :)
I think you are brave for living in AZ; I am so afraid of poisonous snakes and bugs! I live in Upstate NY and the only thing poisonous up here is rattlesnake, copperhead and black widow- but we NEVER see them! At least anyone I know of has never seen them. :)

mep said...

115 degrees in a row for weeks and weeks, plus diamondbacks and coyotes -- wow! I'm not sure I'm tough enough.

I went to the Fiesta Bowl a few years ago, and it was a lot of fun to be in Arizona. My hubby goes at least twice a month so I'm sure to return one of these days (hopefully in winter).

What's that London Bridge reconstruction like?

Thanks for the tour!

Nicole said...

SO, didn't know some of that...thanks for filling me in about where we live! That site sounds cool...totally gonna check it out:)

singedwingangel said...

My friend Linda ws one of the first WOMEN welders to work for Southern Pacific, she was also Native American which made it an even bigger deal. Somewhere I would love to find the interviews she did with National Geographic and remembers doing. Sadly she never got copies of them but saw them and her pics in the offices of where she worked. She was nearly crushed by a piece of steel that formed the front of an engine when it'shoist broke trapping her below it.

The Oxford Family said...

I was born and raised in Phx and lived in Wickenburg until 2 years ago when I moved to East Texas! Thanks for the trip back home :)

Faithful Mali said...

Wow, I learned lots of new stuff about Arizona. Thanks!

It's hot, but it's a "dry" heat, right? That's what I hear people from Arizona say all the time anyway, lol.

Loukia said...

Scorpians and snakes and road runners and coyotes? YIKE! But 65-75 degree winters? Yes, thank you! Awesome post. I'd love to come visit one day!

Sir Thomas AKA (Winters Reaper) said...

*beautiful blog*

love the blog title!!!!

Deborah said...

I love AZ. I have some family in Cave Creek. :)

Sonora said...

What a fun idea.

I don't know how you survive the summers there, although winter would make it all worth it. I can't believe you see roadrunners. I have never seen one.

I may have to come visit Arizona sometime in the near future, anytime but during the summer!

CalgaryDaddy said...

What a great idea!

Shane
www.calgarydaddy.com

Kelly said...

My Grandparents used to own a house in Tucson (you know the kind.. winter homes!) and we spent many summers there. LOVE AZ!! We lived in Fort Irwin, CA and had TONS of camel spiders and scorpions and rattlesnakes.. except I still think AZ is WAY prettier, more color!

Julie said...

We stayed at the Wigwam in Litchfield Park. Loved it!! Not sure I would want to LIVE there year round though. I'm not fond of BAKING!! :)

fraizerbaz said...

Great post about Arizona! One of the best things about Arizona is that fact that we also have some beautiful forests here, as well.

A favorite summer getaway is the White Mountains, where temps are much cooler - ideal for camping!

shortmama said...

Almost like Ive been there before...oh wait I live there!

Theta Mom said...

OMG! I love your blog! Great design and I enjoy your writing. :)And so glad you found me!

I've never been to Arizona. I've been to Cali and Vegas and my dream is one day to see the Grand Canyon. But those snakes in Arizona would freak me out I think!

And thanks again for stopping by my blog. I sure am no expert, but I wrote that post to make others think about the reasons they follow a blog.

So glad to have found you and look forward to blogging with you!

Shelley said...

Such beauty and danger all wrapped up into one state. I love this blog it makes me want to come visit for a while. Great job.

Shelley said...

P. S. I forgot to tell you how much I ADORE Val Kilmer playing Doc Holiday.... "You're a daisy if you do". (SIGH)

Laura said...

Wowzers, I always tell my hubby I want to move to AZ (you know, when it's -45 degrees here) but now I'm not so sure. Scorpions!?! I can't even imagine seeing one of those in real life! We have tons of family in Phoenix and Scottsdale though, one of these winters we need to visit. (Are the scorpions there in the winter too?) :)

Cop Mama said...

Roadrunners and coyotes! Wow, I never knew they would be so close to civilization.

Thanks for the Arizona history lesson. That was really cool! Ok, I want to come live there now! I think it's like 14 degrees outside right now!

Margaret said...

I have always wanted to experience AZ but it is too hot for me.

Confessions From A Working Mom said...

What a cool new website-- well, new to me at least. Thanks for sharing! And thanks for all the info on Arizona... I love learning new things, especially while I'm blog hopping.

Thanks for the compliment over on my blog! Don't worry, I took it the right way!

~Elizabeth
Confessions From A Working Mom

CaraBee said...

Great post! My sister lives in Scottsdale, so we visit there often. Not in the summer, because, man, are the summers brutal. We HAD to visit in early July a few years back when she gave birth to my nephew. We vowed, NEVER AGAIN. Love the winters, especially now , but can't do heat.

It is a beautiful place. Thanks for all of the fun facts!

Heather said...

My frostbitten fingers and toes are jealous of your 65 degree winter days.

I have never been to AZ, but hope to someday. You can keep the scorpions, though...yuck!

Great tour.

ps. Tombstone is one of my favorite movies ever, and Val Kilmer's finest.

Anonymous said...

I have been searching for a long time for this! Finally I found your post on Yahoo.

Thx

Menopausal New Mom said...

What a neat idea to link up like that! Lettuce and Scorpions, I had no idea! We have potatoes and coyotes!

3LittleMonkeys said...

Great post! I knew some of that stuff since my parent's are part of the snowbird flock! They live in Tucson for 6 months of the year and we visit them down there once a year! Love it there! How wonderful to live in a place with no SNOW! so jealous.

Brianne said...

Will have to check it out.
Great post. I am totally jealous of your winter temps, not so much of the 115 but I rather suffer in the heat than the cold and snow. So I would fit perfectly in there!

Ahhh so jealous!

drea said...

thanks for the history lesson on the state I live in and know nothing about, well except the 115 and snowbirds. Unfortunately that's thrown in our face.

blueviolet said...

I'd really like to spend some time out there enjoying all of these things, except for the scorpions!

Stacia said...

Lettuce in the desert ... I had no idea. Thanks for all the info!

PS: What do you do if a rattlesnake bites you??

Just jenn said...

2 thoughts come to mind...
You will never never catch me living there in the summer (I am a heat wimp!!) (but I would snowbird there) LOL! and I still don't know how it is that both my sisters would LOVE to live there!! ha ha! we were of the same parents... really?
fun post! see.. blogging can lead to history lessons! oh.. and I hate snakes... worse than spiders! that is probably 5 thoughts!
Just Jenn~

Kat said...

Wonderful blogtrotting post!

Shandal said...

1. I've never seen a roadrunner before! Jealous!
2. I had no idea that AZ doesn't participate in Daylight Savings. What's the other state that doesn't?
3. I'm going to have to check out this Blogtrotting blog!

rose said...

Hello
This is a nice post.I have just checked that link of photographs and those are really amazing.Its great that you have snakes and scorpions.Thanks for such good post.


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