Does any normal person move to the desert to start farming? Well, no, but I have never professed to be normal.
On October 10, 2012, Don and I and our German shepherd Ginny are heading south and west and driving to the Arizona desert. Our primary purpose in moving to Arizona is to live where the air quality will be better for Don's asthma. Don has a cousin who lives just outside Tucson. This cousin used to have asthma so bad that she needed nebulizer treatments to be able to breathe. However, when she and her husband moved to Arizona from Washington State, approximately 15 years ago, she was able to retire the nebilizer altogether and now uses only an inhaler a handful of times a year. Whenever Don has visited his cousin, his breathing has improved dramatically. Even his doctors have suggested moving to the desert Southwest. This summer, on Cape Cod, the pollen and mold levels have been particularly bad, so Don's ability to breathe has been particularly limited. Up until now, we had just talked about "someday retiring to Arizona." This summer booted us into action. I already have lined up a vet job in Tucson, where I will be able to do both emergency medicine and general practice.
Now, about this farming idea.........Native Americans thrived in the desert Southwest for generations, with desert-adapted plants and animals. I have been researching heat-tolerant breeds of chickens and sheep. Llamas, unfortunately, are not very heat-tolerant, but I contacted the owner of a llama farm an hour east of Tucson, where the higher elevation keeps temperatures cooler. She invited me to visit her farm when we arrive. I can't wait!
The Tucson area is full of information about sustainable living. In fact, Arizona State University has an entire school of sustainable agriculture. I am looking forward to learning about living
with the environment instead of against it.
Don went yesterday to visit the house we were interested in. He said that it is even nicer than the pictures we had seen on-line. He said that the views are spectacular. The place is spotless and move-in ready. When he saw a dinghy in the front yard--in the middle of the desert!--he figured that the place was made for us! We have made an offer. Now, we are eagerly waiting for the real estate agent to let us know if the owner accepts it..
At 6:40 this morning, Don took off from the Providence, RI, airport, heading to Tucson. Since Southwest Airlines does not fly directly to Tucson, this flight went by way of Denver. 
On October 10, 2012, Don and I and our German shepherd Ginny are heading south and west and driving to the Arizona desert. Our primary purpose in moving to Arizona is to live where the air quality will be better for Don's asthma. Don has a cousin who lives just outside Tucson. This cousin used to have asthma so bad that she needed nebulizer treatments to be able to breathe. However, when she and her husband moved to Arizona from Washington State, approximately 15 years ago, she was able to retire the nebilizer altogether and now uses only an inhaler a handful of times a year. Whenever Don has visited his cousin, his breathing has improved dramatically. Even his doctors have suggested moving to the desert Southwest. This summer, on Cape Cod, the pollen and mold levels have been particularly bad, so Don's ability to breathe has been particularly limited. Up until now, we had just talked about "someday retiring to Arizona." This summer booted us into action. I already have lined up a vet job in Tucson, where I will be able to do both emergency medicine and general practice.
