12 FEBRUARY 2023 The Lowe Road A former Valley newspaperman who now writes about his travels across Arizona, the U.S. and the globe. BY SAM LOWE O n those chilly, wintry days when weather reports from cold country reach the Valley of the Sun and cause painful memories of time spent back there, only a very few will sigh and yearn for subzero temperatures, knee-deep snow and the snarling winds that claw their way through parkas, storm coats and long underwear. But some will miss the icicles. I am among them. Icicles cause no discomfort, not even in hindsight. They are multipurpose creations whose basic reason for existing is to remind us that nothing – not even the harshness of winter – lasts forever. Icicles are the representatives of hope. When winter seems interminable, when the urge to sell the home and move south becomes overwhelming, there comes a day when the wind shifts to ease the cold, and the harsh winter pulls back. And on those days, the icicles appear just as surely as the wildflowers will blossom in the spring. There are scientific explanations for this, of course. The wind blows the cold air out and lets blankets of warm air slip in, and that, in turn, raises the temperatures and some of the snow melts. But the cold air comes back and catches the snow in mid-melt, so there are icicles. Because they grow wild, icicles are not confined to any particular area. But, as any cold country refugee will testify, they prefer the edge of a roof with a 30-degree pitch. Roofs with sharper slants tend to dispose of the snow melting too fast, which causes spindly icicles. A good icicle forms slowly, one drop gently tracing a course over those that have gone before and now hang frozen off the lip of a roof. A really good icicle might take weeks, growing slightly with every thaw. And the really, really good icicles sometimes need technical help. During my days as a collegian, we made really, really, really good icicles by hanging string from a third-story window of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house. Twice a day, someone was assigned to open the window and pour a glass of water down the string. By mid-February, we had a 30-foot icicle growing in the front yard. One year, we used orange Kool-Aid instead of plain water, so our icicle looked like a giant carrot. We entered it in the annual snow sculpture contest but lost to a bust of Winston Churchill. Icicles, although not an endangered species, face a certain amount of peril during their short lifespans. One is that the people who admire them are compelled to knock them loose from their moorings. People can’t help it; it’s in their genes. Their ancestors did it in Norway and Germany, and the practice was brought over to this country by refugees and immigrants. So a two-foot icicle is rare and usually found in inaccessible places like the downspout of a five- story building. Also, while there are no statistics to support this contention, it’s almost 100 percent certainty that anyone who grew up in cold country has sampled an icicle for taste and texture and discovered the importance of proper cultivation. An icicle grown on a house with wooden shingles, for example, has a much better flavor than one raised on a composition roof. And an icicle taken in the wild, off the sagging branches of a pine tree, is ambrosia. Eventually, most cold country inhabitants come to the realization that early winter icicles are far superior to those in March because they’re made of fresher snow. By the time spring arrives, the original snow has been corrupted by snirt (a combination of blowing snow and dirt), so the icicles are thin and weak and taste just awful. Some non-traditionalists will argue that Popsicles and bagged ice cubes make good icicle substitutes, but they are deluding themselves. Purists would never consider replacing fresh snow icicles with anything crafted through the use of artificial flavoring and chemically altered tap water. By April, the icicles are gone, and nobody feels bad about it because they take winter with them when they depart. But they’ll be back. As sure as unkind winter will return, the icicles will come to ease the pain. A tribute to the icicle Sam was sent to Buffalo, New York many years ago to do a story. He went to Niagara Falls on that trip, and while the falls were frozen over and it was so cold the shutter on his camera froze, he said the outing was “glorious.” Christ Lutheran School Preschool - Grade 8 • www.clsphx.org LC-MS 3901 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix | www.cclphoenix.org | (602) 955-4830 LOVE GROW SERVE IN-PERSON WORSHIP Traditional Worship 8:00am/10:45am Contemporary Worship 8:30am/10:30am Teaching Service 9:30am ONLINE WORSHIP Sunday @ 8:am/10:30am FB Live or CHRISTCHURCHPHX.ONLINE.CHURCH * For tax credit details and restrictions and a list of qualifying products, see the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement and FAQs at www.hunterdouglas.com/tax-credit. Hunter Douglas and its dealers are not tax advisors. Consult a tax professional regarding your individual tax situation and ability to claim a tax credit related to the purchase of the qualifying Duette ® Honeycomb Shades. • Help reduce your monthly utility costs with Hunter Douglas shades specifically designed to provide year-round insulation • Contribute to a more sustainable environment by lowering your energy use SA VE up to $ 1,200 with a New Federal Tax Credit on Energy-Efficient Hunter Douglas Shades* Contact Us to Learn More SILHOUETTE ® WINDOW SHADINGS Time to decorate your windows for the holidays! Save with mail-in rebates on a selection of stylish Hunter Douglas window fashions. Ask for details. SEPTEMBER 15 – DECEMBER 7, 2015 SAVE $100 * OR MORE WITH REBATES on qualifying purchases of Hunter Douglas window fashions. * Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 5/5/15 – 6/30/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Offer excludes Nantucket™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette ® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. © 2015 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of HunterDouglas. Measuring and Installation Ask about Consultation *Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 9/15/15 – 12/7/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Offer excludes Nantucket™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and SILHOUETTE ® WINDOW SHADINGS Time to decorate your windows for the holidays! Save with mail-in rebates on a selection of stylish Hunter Douglas window fashions. Ask for details. SEPTEMBER 15 – DECEMBER 7, 2015 SAVE $100 * OR MORE WITH REBATES on qualifying purchases of Hunter Douglas window fashions. Solera ® Soft Shades Warm up a room with a cool look. Solera ® Soft Shades are designed with a unique cellular construction to help keep your rooms cozier in winter and cooler in summer. Energy efficiency combined with a soft, sculpted look. That’s not just cool, it’s smart. Ask for details. ffer valid for qualifying purchases made 2/1/15 – 4/25/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. A qualifying purchase is defi ned as a purchase of any of the product models set forth above in the quantities set s than the specifi ed quantity, you will not be entitled to a rebate. Offer excludes Nantucket™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette ® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations aler for details and rebate form. © 2015 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas. APRIL 25, 2015 comb Shades each additional unit) ades each additional unit) dow Shadings each additional unit) rn Roman Shades each additional unit) EBATE * LLOWING PURCHASES: WIN15MB2 48254 Arcadia Blind & Shutter LLC 2921 N 68th St Ste 1 Scottsdale AZ 8-5 480-248-8047 Measuring and Installation Ask about Follow Us At Facebook or Twitter The Art of Window Dressing TM idea booklet with this ad Solera ® Soft Shades Warm up a room with a cool look. Solera ® Soft Shades are designed with a unique cellular construction to help keep your rooms cozier in winter and cooler in summer. Energy efficiency combined with a soft, sculpted look. That’s not just cool, it’s smart. Ask for details. te offer valid for qualifying purchases made 2/1/15 – 4/25/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. A qualifying purchase is defi ned as a purchase of any of the product models set forth above in the quantities set less than the specifi ed quantity, you will not be entitled to a rebate. Offer excludes Nantucket™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette ® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward eeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations g dealer for details and rebate form. © 2015 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas. – APRIL 25, 2015 eycomb Shades te each additional unit) Shades te each additional unit) indow Shadings te each additional unit) dern Roman Shades te each additional unit) EBATE * FOLLOWING PURCHASES: WIN15MB2 48254 Arcadia Blind & Shutter LLC 2921 N 68th St Ste 1 Scottsdale AZ 8-5 480-248-8047 Measuring and Installation Ask about Follow Us At Facebook or Twitter The Art of Window Dressing TM idea booklet with this ad Solera ® Soft Shades Warm up a room with a cool look. Solera ® Soft Shades are designed with a unique cellular construction to help keep your rooms cozier in winter and cooler in summer. Energy efficiency combined with a soft, sculpted look. That’s not just cool, it’s smart. Ask for details. ng purchases made 2/1/15 – 4/25/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. A qualifying purchase is defi ned as a purchase of any of the product models set forth above in the quantities set quantity, you will not be entitled to a rebate. Offer excludes Nantucket ™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette ® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward eipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations rebate form. © 2015 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas. 15 s nal unit) nal unit) gs nal unit) hades nal unit) TE * CHASES: WIN15MB2 48254 Arcadia Blind & Shutter LLC 2921 N 68th St Ste 1 Scottsdale AZ 8-5 480-248-8047 Measuring and Installation Ask about Follow Us At Facebook or Twitter The Art of Window Dressing TM idea booklet with this ad * Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 5/5/15 – 6/30/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Offer excludes Nantucket™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette ® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. © 2015 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of HunterDouglas. Solera ® Soft Shades Warm up a room with a cool look. Solera ® Soft Shades are designed with a unique cellular construction to help keep your rooms cozier in winter and cooler in summer. Energy efficiency combined with a soft, sculpted look. That’s not just cool, it’s smart. Ask for details. FEBRUARY 1 – APRIL 25, 2015 4 Duette ® Honeycomb Shades (plus $25 rebate each additional unit) 4 Solera ® Soft Shades (plus $25 rebate each additional unit) 2 Silhouette ® Window Shadings (plus $50 rebate each additional unit) 2 Vignette ® Modern Roman Shades (plus $50 rebate each additional unit) $ 100 REBATE * ON ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PURCHASES: Arcadia Blind & Shutter LLC 2921 N 68th St Ste 1 Scottsdale AZ 8-5 480-248-8047 Measuring and Installation Ask about Follow Us At Facebook or Twitter The Art of Window Dressing TM idea booklet with this ad Consultation * For tax credit details and restrictions and a list of qualifying products, see the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement and FAQs at www.hunterdouglas.com/tax-credit. Hunter Douglas and its dealers are not tax advisors. Consult a tax professional regarding your individual tax situation and ability to claim a tax credit related to the purchase of the qualifying Duette® Honeycomb Shades. © 2023 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas.