How do you beat the heat?

By Chris Braun, Leona O'Neal and Nunn Winship

The old ways can sometimes be the best ways. That is what Angie and Danielle Mahkee say.

This mother and daughter team were cooling off in the park on a hot Phoenix day by playing in the water.

“When I was a girl in Zuni, we would go up into the mountains in the summer. We always played in the water,” Mahkee said as Danielle ran through the bubbling jets of water. Soon after she said that, the fountain quit playing.

Danielle, 3 years old, looked sadly at the still-wet pavement and said, “Come back water, come back.”

It didn’t, so Mahkee moved Danielle to a water wall, which fascinated the child. Danielle was happy to show the interviewer the blue glass rocks and how the wall was wet, but wanted to talk about her kitty, Kitty.

Mahkee, a former elementary school teacher and academic adviser at New Mexico Highlands University, moved to Phoenix with her chemical engineer husband.

“I like living in Phoenix, but I miss the mountains. We have a sheep ranch on the border of New Mexico and Arizona, and I like taking Danielle there. I miss it.”

What advice did Mahkee have for staying cool in Phoenix? “Stay near the water. Drink lots of cold drinks.”