The annual return of the Snowbirds to Phoenix, Arizona

You really don't have to be an expert on how the economy of Phoenix works to know that it relies on tourism, specifically people who want to get away from the snow and cold in the winter. These people are called, affectionately and a little bit sarcastically, by locals as "Snowbirds".

It's September 2020, during the COVID Pandemic, and of course everyone is curious to see what its impact will be on the annual return of the snowbirds, and the economy of Phoenix. Speaking for myself, I'm optimistic. I've had the privilege of observing the natural behavior of Snowbirds in their habitat, because my parents were snowbirds for many, many years. And while there are many types of Snowbirds, my parents were definitely typical of the type.

My parents had a house in Minnesota, and a trailer (excuse me, a mobile home) in Peoria, which is a suburb of Phoenix. They had two of everything to minimize how much stuff they needed to haul back and forth - you know, two sets of pots and pans, two sets of dishes, that kind of stuff. They always drove, in a car that would allow them to take a LOT of stuff, and they arrived in late September or early October.

And as I drift into the age that they were when they first started doing their annual visit to Phoenix, I think that I can understand more about what I found bizarre behavior, back when I was young. And in spite of much strange behavior, I have confidence that most of the Snowbirds this year will be like my parents, and will be just fine with new rules and regulations, like wearing a mask, that sort of thing. My parents could follow directions, even if they didn't understand what they meant, and even if they disagreed. The best example I can remember of this was the road that encircled Metrocenter Mall.

If you've lived in Phoenix for a long time, you know that cruising around and around Metrocenter Mall had become commonplace, and was getting to be a problem. Back in the '90s, signs were put up that you were not allowed to pass the sign more than two times in a particular timeframe. My parents saw that sign, and if they had to circle around again, looking for a store, they did, but not more than two times. They went home and tried the next day. I could never clear this up for them. But my point is that they read the signs, and followed them.

If my dad were alive today we would probably consider this whole "hoopla" about "what is probably just a mild cold situation" to be a bunch of nonsense. I never knew him to believe in the Illuminati, or Dark Money, or stuff like that, but if he did, he would have kept it to himself, and done the right thing when out in public, doing social distancing, or wearing a mask. I can't imagine my parents making a scene at Walmart, or anything like that, although they'd go back to their car and grumble to each other. "Dern fool nonsense! Don't know what this world is coming to!"

My parents really weren't outdoor exercisers (or exercisers at all), but if you gave them a little white ball, and a golf club, they'd spend hours outside chasing after it. And they would happily spend hours and hours sitting in a car, with the windows rolled up, and the air conditioning on, to go somewhere, maybe some scenic spot in Arizona, but they wouldn't really spend much time there, they'd just go back.

My parents were never heavy drinkers (just a glass of wine with dinner), but like most Snowbirds, they kept a well-stocked supply (I know, they always had Tanqueray for me!). And while they were always, very, very careful with their money, always looking for bargains, they did spend money in Arizona, which helped the economy.

Thank you, Snowbirds!

Image at the top of this post: My parents in 2001.

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