WIND AND DUST AND MOODS

There are different names for various types of desert winds.

I grew up with the Santa Ana winds in Southern California. 

El Nino was recognized as a serious influence in world climate predictions.

And I love the photographs of the haboobs drowning the Phoenix area.

Right now we are just being plummeted with good old fashioned warm wind. And dust.

And I am trying very hard not to blame it for my overall grumpy mood.

It's not hot enough that I can blame the heat - it's barely in the 80's today

And it's not the blasting of cold wind that we get in the winter that cuts through you.

It's just dusty... and constant... and loud.

WIND WIND WIND

Did you know that the highest recorded wind was 253 mph., at Barrow Island in Australia?

And the world's record for heat was actually set at Death Valley, California at 134 degree?  (and I always figured the hottest places would be in the tropics)

The wind right now here is probably 30-40 mph - it's tough to stand up in, the dirt it is kicking up stings my face, but it's nothing hurricane strength.

So why am I complaining about it?

Because of the NOISE.

My poor little old dog cannot distinguish between the sound of the wind and oh let's say a  burglar trying to break down my front door.

So she is reacting to both with the same intense (albeit pretend) ferocity of barking and racing around, awaiting (her completely imaginary) illegal entry of our abode.

I just want some quiet.

WIND

Normally, there are some great things about windy days.

I grew up in the L.A. basin, where breezy days meant the smog was blown away, the skies were blue, and you could actually see the San Gabriel mountains six miles away.



Gusty days were always more interesting days to have a horse out - more things blowing around for him to spook at.




But windy days here in Southern Arizona almost can guarantee one thing.

Dust.

And more dust.

We have dust every single moment when the air is perfectly still - it just is about a jillion times more when blustery weather prevails.

To the point where it becomes difficult to see, let alone keep anything clean.



Today, however, the wind was shifting very very large semi-trucks on the interstate into sharing more of my lane of traffic than I was completely comfortable with.



Next windy day, I'm going to put-off driving to Tucson.

GONE WITH THE WIND

Wind is a little bit scary at times.

The weather forecasters can be counted on to predict a 10% chance of showers, and then have a four-day downpour cause massive flooding.

When they call for a week of complete sunshine, the dark clouds begin to move in immediately.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a job where you are consistently wrong and still be employed?

But wind - how can they predict so exactly something that you can't even SEE?

They seem to get it close to the MINUTE it will begin, the speed down perfectly, and how long it is going to last.

It's always amusing to hear the forecast for "hurricane-force" winds here in Arizona, where we are pretty far from any ocean.

Anyone know the secret?