I found myself in a phone conversation last week wondering why I was talking about the weather. Especially since the call had just begun (and ended up being rather short). But the weather, it seems to be on my mind. And I realize I must be either getting old or much more boring than I used to be. I need a rocking chair. And probably a front porch.

I've been killing weeds this week. Cutting them down, pulling them out, making new stacks on top of the old ones from months before. This is unusual. We rarely get enough moisture in the first half of the year to even worry about weeds such as the ones that have sprouted and grown in my backyard during the last couple of months.

We've been wet here in the desert, and no one seems to know why or what it means. Which is the weather for you. It seems to be one step ahead of the doppler radar, two steps ahead of meteorologists and three steps ahead of the rest of us. I have been realizing I could make a good living betting against whatever the experts think the weather is going to be like on any given day.

My wisteria vine is exploding. A white grape vine is bigger than it's been in years. And the honeysuckle is attracting multitudes of hummingbirds to my front door.

I have not, as of yet, been able to take a good picture of these quick moving birds (by the time I see one, get the camera and float to a good position, they have taken their taste and buzzed away), but it's fun to watch them zip from bloom to bloom.

I went over the Rio Grande yesterday, and it's got a lot of water moving through it. Almost living up to its name.

It's been cooler than usual. Supposedly we're going to hit 90 this week, but maybe not. Every time they say we're going to get really hot, it gets pretty warm for a day or so and then cools off. Unusual, to say the least. At this time of year, everyone is pretty sure it actually is summer. But this year, it still feels like spring. In a non-desert climate.

I had to buy a weedeater this week. I've lived at the same house for over ten years and never had to use anything other than my hands (and a few trimming, non-motorized, tools) to get the wild vegetables under control. My landlord did mow down everything a few years back. I guess I can't say there hasn't been a need for such a tool, but I always figured we'd get back to the good old, dry and hot days. And then I can just rake all the dead and dried up growth.

So is this the global warming? Is this the climate change? It would be nice if we got a little more water around here. We are in a desert. A high desert (mile high). And water is always an issue. There are controls on watering during the summer. There are penalties for excessive water use (although they are rarely enforced, especially if the violator is a big company employing a lot of people). Xeriscaping is the norm in most areas of the city. Sure there are still green lawns, but the number that turned into oceans of rock and pebbles and strategically placed cacti in the last few years is rather large.

I'm not complaining, I'm just befuddled. And it seemed like a good non-issue for Memorial Day. You don't want to hear about the war. Or American Idol. Or the summer movies I haven't seen.

So this weekend, well, I'm gonna relax. Check out the clouds building up, cooling us off, sometimes dropping a bit of rain. And wonder how long it'll last.

Matt Worley doesn't own a raincoat or umbrella.