Hi Tyson!
Hope you are happy and healthy. We are enjoying this place very much. It's actually much cooler than I remember, but the weather is hottest in June. Maybe in a week or two, I'll be singing a different tune. However, I prefer heat over ice and snow, because you never slip and fall on a patch of sunshine.
We've really enjoyed our new activity of riding bikes. I got a bike for Christmas and Papa decided to get one this spring. We discovered that there are miles and miles of trails that travel next to dry rivers.
Yes, the rivers here are mostly dry, except when we get big rains. Then they swell up to the top and even flood sometimes. The city wanted to control the flooding, so they have been working on cleaning out the rivers, building up the banks, planting native trees and shrubs, and putting in paths for biking, running, or walking. It's so beautiful!
I don't remember the desert ever looking so nice. Although the plants are native, the gardeners chose the prettiest ones to line the paths. One part has palo verde and mesquite trees that form and arch over the path. When these flower, it's a gorgeous sight.
With all the vegetation, many animals have made the trails their home. This week we saw oodles of real roadrunners. As you can see from the pictures, real roadrunners look nothing like the cartoon version. It also does not go "beep beep," although it is eaten by coyotes. It averages about 20 inches in length and 19 inches in wingspan, though it rarely flies, preferring to run at speeds as fast as 18 miles per hour. It can survive without drinking water, as long as it consumes prey with high water content. I sure wouldn't want to be a roadrunner, because it eats mostly insects, birds, lizards, snakes, gophers, mice with an occasional bit of fruit. Yuck!
We wonder what interesting things you have planned this summer. Will you swim a lot? Will you ride bikes? Or do you prefer to stay inside and build Lego? We hope you like to read, too! It can be so much fun, because you get to meet all sorts of people and go to all sorts of places without leaving your home. I like to ride my bike, read stories and history, research family history, go to the temple, and work in my garden. Papa likes to ride bikes, read history, index, go to the temple, and sit in the sun. Around here, all outdoor things must be done early in the morning or in the evening to miss the heat of the day.
Well, Ty, we hope you are choosing to be kind and happy. These things are a choice. The sooner you realize that happiness is directly connected to how you treat others, choosing the right, and your attitude, the sooner you will find the joy that Heavenly Father wants you to find. He loves you so AND so do we.
Love Ya Lots!
P&G
