Running Mommy and Happy Texas Mom, thank you, for saying what I have been thinking.
First, yes, the desert IS dangerous. The story you told is so sad and could have been avoided... I used to walk at 4:30-5 AM and even then, it was not fun. No wonder I was a gym rat. And no wonder I crave being outdoors now, even after 19 years of being away from AZ.
Happy Texas Mom, you hit the nail on the head for me. I had a wonderful life in Tempe, but the day my two little boys went out and were playing in the foundation plants outside my house and said, "We're in the woods," I knew I had to leave. No one *can* imagine what 115 feels like. When I try to describe it by saying, "Open up your oven door and stick your head inside," they just give me a look. I don't know how the valley grew into such a popular area, either. And now, it's ruined. When my parents moved there in 1971, it was hot, but nice. Still truly western. I know I sound like an old person, but the Valley I knew is gone. My house, at Elliot and McClintock was surrounded by cornfields and sheep farms.
I give you credit for trying to ride now. If I was still in AZ, I am pretty sure my riding season would be October to March, no different than how I ride now from March through October, or the beginning of November, in a colder climate. I always used to say that the school year should be reversed in AZ. During the nice weather, normal people who work, can never get outside, because they are at work... even as a teacher, it would be dark pretty soon after I got home in the winter. I distinctly remember my kids playing outside in the backyard, before dinner, with the patio lights on.
So sad...