College Poker Girl entry 2

Graduation Day
The Chaparral High School Graduation in Phoenix, Arizona is in full swing. The commencement date of May 12 would be considered quite early in some parts of the country. All Arizona high schools schedule early graduation dates to combat the blistering onslaught of summer heat. Arizona is well known for the stifling temperatures that overthrow spring like a hot meteor burning through the earth's atmosphere.
There is a reason that Phoenix leads the nation in single-family homes equipped with a pool. In simple words, it gets DAMM HOT there in summer! The Snowbirds, or Winter visitors from Canada and the upper Midwest who nest in comfortable retirement communities, have long since flown back to their summer homes.
The Chaparral graduation ceremony is blessed with perfect weather. Phoenix is experiencing a beautiful dry 85-degree day with a slight breeze flowing through the Valley of the Sun. The students are lined up in their caps and gowns waiting to be called to the podium to accept their diplomas. The air is electric with the hope and excitement that the end of school brings. The graduates are nervous as to what the next step in their lives will be. They are overjoyed in overcoming the first hurdle towards adulthood. Parents, friends and relatives fill the stands; and they point and clap as their loves ones approach the stage.
The three best friends have just received their diplomas and are now seated in the back right of the podium in what feels like a cattle holding pen. The oncoming flow of graduates remind them of a line of ants on the march home from a successful picnic!