Ladyfisher; Congratulations on finally discovering Arizona. Having spent almost my entire life east of the Mississippi River, I had no idea of what to expect when I was told that my next active duty station would be at Fort Huachuca, AZ. I had visions of something straight out of "Beau Geste" -- rolling sand dunes, rattlesnakes, gila monsters, cacti, and tarantulas -- and was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was.

If you get the chance, get the two of you into a car and drive southwest to Sierra Vista. On the south side of town, there is a winding road that will take you up into Ramsay Canyon -- there's a Nature Conservancy preserve there that has more species of hummingbirds in one location than anywhere else in North America. And you will fall in love with winter in the desert.