I haven’t given the weather a second thought in 40 years. In the Southwest part of the country the weather is, relatively speaking, always the same….clear, sunny and warm. Oh, and there is no wind, no humidity and no bugs. I lived in Flagstaff, AZ which is at 7000 feet and all ponderosa pine and aspen trees. We can have hundreds of inches of snow in the winter but it is not winter as you know it. With the intensity of the sun in Arizona, it can snow several feet at night and by noon the next day you can be out shoveling in your tee shirt. Better yet, once the snow plow comes through, the roads are not just clear but dry by mid-afternoon. No problem getting to work here…at least by noon. We also have late afternoon summer monsoon rains; it pours for an hour and cools everything off. At 7000 feet, it is chilly at night but with no wind, humidity or bugs we have very pleasant evenings. Unbelievable, right!
With that weather experience in mind, getting reacquainted with the spring and summer weather here, specifically the wind, has been quite an adjustment. I have no memory of growing up in a windy climate. My brother, Mark, says that is because I didn’t play golf. Here is what I have learned so far:
1.) Our annual budget needs to include replacement costs from the wind. So far this has included the loss of: two lawn chairs, one umbrella, numerous solar lights, several bird feeders and a kayak; which is yellow if anyone comes upon it. I am quickly learning how to “batten down the hatches.
2.) Do note stand under large deciduous trees in wind storms. They make a lot of noise, become vulnerable to attack and there is collateral damage. This appears to be nature’s way of getting rid of dead and weak branches or even whole trees. Cleanup is the name of the game after these storms…if you don’t have a concussion from idiocy.
3.) Houses here are built to withstand strong winds. This was calmly explained to me in a late night return text from my contractor. Home alone during my first wind storm I was convinced the house was ready to blow down. I don’t spook easily but these winds are unsettling.
4.) Do not try to leisurely watch a storm pass through from your front porch. Recent gale force winds took my lawn furniture, cushions, book, journal, cocktail and technological devices for a spin. Once everything was recaptured and I saw the wisdom of moving inside, I had to use both hands to get the front door closed. My neighbor swears she saw the water rise up out of the lake and I think she might be right given the resistance I was met with just trying to close the door. We don’t have basements out west, I now know why you do and I have located our one internal closet for the next close call. My “coming home” to the weather has been a whirlwind and I now understand the often asked question, “How did you survive the storm?” 2017