Ahhh….September! Portal to the best time of year here in our little corner of paradise.
Of course, there are those of us who think of September as “hell…with humidity.” Having left the playas for the cool mountains of central Arizona in August and staying until the first of October, I can’t say that I miss the heat and humidity that is Puerto Peñasco during the summer months, but I do miss everything else about our town.
I miss walking the beach in the morning, greeting and chatting with my neighbors, while my dogs frolic along the surf line as the tide moves slowly in, or out…and my friend’s Chow Chow, Charli, does her best to catch crabs in the tide pools.
I miss sitting quietly on my patio reading and sipping coffee as the day brightens the azure sea and the cool breezes waft gently.
I miss going to town to the frutería, laughing with the stock boys as they pack fresh produce into overflowing baskets and chatting with some of the shop keepers about…well, about anything of interest at the moment.
I miss going to Grapes and Barley on Friday evening for happy hour with my friends and neighbors, enjoying a craft beer or a good bottle of wine while dining on some of the best botanas in town, served by the best wait staff around!
I miss having lunch at Diego’s Tiki Bar on Sandy Beach (their botanas are pretty good too), or a cold Margarita at Mariachi’s on Rodeo drive.
I miss chatting with my friend Loa at Casa de Talavera (also on Rodeo Drive, just a bit down from Mariachi’s) while my visiting friends peruse the voluminous shop’s offerings of the very unique pottery and ceramics (look up ‘Talavera’ pottery).
I miss having neighbors and friends over for cocktails, and all of us going outside to watch the sunset, no matter how many times we’ve watched it before.
In fact, I really, really miss Peñasco! BUT…I absolutely hate humidity, especially when coupled with high temperatures. In fact, there is nothing, weather-wise, that I hate more than humidity and high temperatures. I feel like I am walking in a wet towel all the time. Breathing the wet, heated air is a chore. It’s almost like walking around in an oven after being drenched by a fire hose. At least it is to me. There is a physical “presence” to the atmosphere that is not palpable during the rest of the year.
I know that we are spoiled by air conditioning. In fact, I believe that is one of the reasons we have so much tourism during the summer months. Without it, there is no way in hell anyone would be brave enough to hang out on the fiery sand with nowhere to cool off after. The water temperature of the Sea of Cortez is in the 90’s so that wouldn’t help either!
I am old enough to have grown up when no one I knew had air conditioning. That was in the northeast where summer humidity was high, and sleeping on the porch was the only way to get even a little sleep. That was before Uncle Sugar sent his favorite “nephews” to places in Southeast Asia. Before that, I merely ‘disliked’ the humidity…after dealing with jungle humidity, I absolutely loathed it!
Today, during September, in Peñasco, walking outside from an air-conditioned building is like self-flagellation! Imagine; you walk out your front door into a heated oven and there is someone with a soaking wet bath towel that smacks you square in the face!
I know that many people vacation here during the summer months. The reasons are many and varied. The children are out of school, and this is the only time the family can take a vacation together, you’ve pre-planned the vacation, going to Mexico because it is such an adventure, etc., etc. Apparently, the humidity doesn’t factor into their plans.
So, you might be asking yourself, ‘if he hates the humidity so much, why does he live here?’ The answer is simple, really. Even Eden had its serpent! Peñasco is as close to a personal paradise as I’ve found. For most of the year our weather is perfect! Not too hot, not too cold, sometimes a little ‘breezy’ but always pleasant. More important are the wonderful people that I get to hang out with! Plus, I can go up to the mountains to escape the humidity for a couple of months while I remember why I miss my town so much…and get to come back to do it all over again!
If you are visiting our town and reading this paper, please go to some of the places I’ve mentioned and enjoy their wares and hospitality. After all, if you’re here in September, the high humidity apparently doesn’t dissuade you, so make the most of your time here!
