Fourth of July

Sitting here in Jerome, AZ  http://www.azjerome.com, a really interesting place. An old mining town high up (5,200 ft) on the side of a mountain and full of old buildings, many abandoned. There are storm clouds around us, lightning on the distant hills and rain falling in the Verde Valley below like in ages past. One thing we like about Jerome (aside from my sister living here, of course) and places like the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (which we were at last week) and Death Valley is that these places change so little. We are accustomed to the pace of change in Southern California where it is impossible to keep up. In our local stores it is unusual anyone knows or remembers us but here we visit once or maybe twice a year and are acknowledged by name in the local coffee shop. We were waiting for the local 4th of July parade but it looks like a case of ‘rain on the parade’ and it may be canceled.