>>They [saguaros] can store hundreds of gallons of water to survive drought and can weigh over two tons when full.

The last time my wife and I were in Tucson we visited a couple of cohousing communities. One had a saguaro out front that had fallen over. The guy cleaning it up explained to me: "they're just like us: drink too much and we fall down..."

Agreed that the desert is beautiful, although I’d recommend a UV flashlight to see into mailboxes before you stick your hand in - to make sure you’re not assaulting a scorpion who’s found a nice place to spend the day...

That said, I feel similar about swimming in the rain, particularly in open water. It's not like I'm going to get any wetter - and it's cool watching the raindrops hit the surface up close - and from just underneath.

Back when I was racing motorcycles, I kind of liked racing in the rain. The 'line' changes and the traction trade-offs all shift. At the end, I'm soaked either way (sweat when it's not raining). And yes, one of the running lines was "I'm dying, why aren't we racing jet skis?".

One question: I have neighbors who run the Boston marathon annually. When it's raining, they stress about getting their feet wet as they then get blisters. Any solution to that? I'm not a runner (I overheat) but a cool rain has to be pretty nice.