I too live in Arizona, a recent transplant.  There is a lot of variation
here in the climate mostly due to altitude.  Phoenix is in a valley and
gets routinely at least 10 degrees hotter than Tucson.  Flagstaff is
pretty high and is cooler.  When I lived in a townhouse in Tucson I found
a neighbor woman had two ferrets which she kept outside summer and winter
in the shaded patio.  It took a lot of convincing to get her to give them
up to a loving ferret indoor home.  She once lived in Alaska and was
figuring if mink can be outdoors why not ferrets?  Anyway they are now
happy inside a house, not being chased by a Chihuahua.
 
Carol O.
[Posted in FML issue 4292]