Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Talk About The Wind

What do you think about the wind? Not the gentle breeze that cools your warm summer afternoon, but the wind that blows your hat across the yard if you are not paying attention, the wind that picks up than neatly folded newspaper you left laying on your chair when you went inside for another cup of coffee, only to come back and find it plastered all over the fence on the furthest end of the yard, that same wind that just when you think it is safe takes your skirt up around your head and after fighting to get it back into place you look around to find that your gut feeling was right, the whole world was watching.
Windmill in our front yard
I left South Carolina at the age of eighteen, and throughout my raising the only time I remember the wind being up above a breeze was when we had a storm brewing, anytime the wind was howling we were hunkered down waiting for the storm to blow over, I made my road trip and landed in New Mexico and not knowing any different, here I am pumping gas for my Dad in the middle of 100mph winds, there were rocks blowing completely sideways and I was ducking and bobbing trying to keep myself from being knocked cold by one of these flying projectiles, I yelled to my Dad:

Me: Dad where do we need to go to take cover?

Dad: Take cover why do we need to take cover?

Me: (pointing to the sky) because of this

Dad: (looking up with a blank look on his face) Because of what?

Me: The Wind

Dad: (laughing) Nope everything is OK

Me: What’s Happening?

Dad: The wind is just blowing

OK I may have over exaggerated the wind speed but it was a lot higher than anything I was used to, believe it or not that very same day I saw Golf Ball size hail for the first time and rather than ask questions about it, I just hunkered down inside until it was over and hoped no one noticed because I wasn’t going outside in this stuff.

Over the next thirty years I got somewhat used to the wind blowing, I lost my hat more than once and saw a few skirts blown upwards, although none were mine I am glad to say, I saw a Grain Elevator blown to the ground once and have seen more roof damage due to the wind than any other reason, I saw a storage building move across the yard and a complete children’s swing set moved to the neighbors yard without our assistance. Did this happen all the time? No but just enough to be irritating, they always told me that I would get used to it, but I lived there thirty years and can say that I never did.

When we made the decision to move to Sunny Southern California/ SOCAL we were pretty excited about the opportunity, we had visited more than once and the weather was always nice and the temperature tolerable, meaning that we just knew we would never be cold and we actually said goodbye to the wind when we left New Mexico, adding that this would be one thing we would not miss.

Soon after we got settled in we were sitting on the porch early one morning when the wind gusted up and blew the newspaper across the yard, we looked at each other and Cindy said to her Dad, “what’s going on” he asked “What are you talking about” she pointed and he replied “It’s OK, The wind is just blowing”

Yes SOCAL includes the Santa Ana Winds and living in the San Gorgonio Pass, one of the nation’s deepest mountain passes means we are in a valley, so where does the wind naturally flow, yep you guessed it we are just wishing for some of those calm New Mexico days at times, seriously it’s really nice here, there are just a few days when the breezes are a bit stronger, they say that we will get used to it but we just smile and nod our heads. I asked Cindy today if she thought we would ever live anywhere that the wind didn’t blow, she just smiled and said “Nope I think we are home.”

19 comments:

  1. Ahhhhh. I hear you!
    (Although I'm not sure our Alberta Breezes are quite as gallant as yours way sown south:)
    I actually cannot stand the wind. It drains me for some reason.
    And I have lost a few pieces of laundry on occasion. Somewhere, someone out there....may now own a few of my shirts;)

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  2. Hey Dawn, The wind does have a way of draining you, "I have lost a few pieces of laundry on occasion. Somewhere, someone out there....may now own a few of my shirts" Ha Ha I think we have gathered a few extra at times, wonder if one might be yours :)

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  3. The answer my friend is "blowin in the wind." Sorry I couldn't resist! I love the sound of the wind howling when I am safely tucked inside my covers. However, if that darn wind blows my hair to bits then I am a bit disgruntled. We don't have much wind here in LA proper, but every so often when those santa Ana's blow....watch out!!!

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  4. "that same wind that just when you think it is safe takes your skirt up around your head and after fighting to get it back into place you look around to find that your gut feeling was right, the whole world was watching."

    HILARIOUS, Jimmy!

    Having lived in Florida for 20 years, I'm familiar witht the wind. It can kick up furiously in the blink of an eye. However, I'm someone who LOVES the wind (I know, I'm crazy). I use to like to go down to the beach the day after a hurricane and sit in the sand while the wind blew!

    Fun post, buddy!

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  5. We have some amazing winds sometimes where I live also. It makes a mad dash up two valleys and the upslope of a big hill. We live on the edge of that hill. Sometimes the winds get pretty scary. It knocks over heavy things in our back yard (no fence) and sometimes we think it might break our windows. Other times we have the Santa Ana's coming from the other direction, they can get pretty hairy also!

    I know what you're saying about the newspapers! Trashcans also...

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  6. Hey Susie, If I had thought quick enough I could have tied that song into the post Ha Ha, I’m really not much for the wind, I guess from working outside most of my life. I’m really surprised at the amount of wind we get here and never noticed it when we visited in the past, funny huh and yes we have been introduced to Santa Ana I am thinking this is a friend we will have for quite a long time :^)

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  7. Ron, I can just imagine sitting on the beach in the wind after a hurricane, that is one experience I have not had as of yet, the winds would be much better if we had a dial to adjust the speed in my opinion.

    I bet those girls with the skirts up around their heads think the same thing :^)

    Glad you enjoyed the post Buddy!!

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  8. Hey Pat, I have noticed that with the wind coming from different directions, I suppose it’s the Santa Ana’s as you mentioned, just about the time I think I have it figured out my windmill is pointing the complete opposite way.

    I don’t mind a little wind but the scary ones you mentioned really get under my skin due to the destruction they can cause, yes sir I have seen the trash cans blow around like paper also.

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  9. Funny, we are having a pretty windy night here in Austin, Texas -- and it's a banner year for acorns which are pelting my metal roof like little bombs. I like wind as part of a storm--adds to the excitement. But just windy days? No thanks. I wear contacts and it kills my eyes.

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  10. Living in a valley, we get our fair share of winds here in England too, and more tornadoes are becoming normal too in some parts.
    No, I don't like the wind. For some reason it puts me on edge and spooks the horses. And yes, we have our share of really bad snow to look forward too....but you will be pleased to hear that although I have almost lost my hat, I have never lost my skirt!
    Big hugs to you both!

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  11. This somehow reminds me of that old song, The Summer Wind......the summer wind, came blowing in, from across the sea.

    Here in PA we've seen some high gusty winds that can bring down trees, power lines and such. You just stay in and "weather" the storm.

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  12. I love, love, love the wind.. For some reason it is like taking an outdoor bath in the air. It refreshes me.. As long as it's not 100 degrres of wind..lol

    Your posts are always so unique..

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  13. I'm from Kansas so I know wind. How about them Santa Ana's? I generally don't like wind, It messes up my pretty hairdo.

    P.S. How's Bossy Betty? How's the egg production? I've been told mine will stop soon, so I am hoping hers is still good. (TMI, Jimmy? Sorry.)

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  14. Dreamfarm Girl, That’s it in a nutshell for me, sorry had to play on the acorns, “I like wind as part of a storm--adds to the excitement. But just windy days? No thanks.” I can take it better during a storm but when it seems to be blowing for no reason it does tick me off.

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  15. Hey Heather, With you also living in a valley you know exactly what I am saying, and it’s funny how the weather patterns seem to be changing all over some folks are getting tornados when they have never experienced them before, some days our horses are spooked by the wind and others they are like OK whatever Ha Ha, I think losing a hat would be a lot easier to deal with than a skirt, I guess it depends on which hat :^)

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  16. Yes Sir Matty, That’s about all you can do in these situations, stay inside and weather the storm because you sure gain nothing by going out into it, I like the comparisons we are getting here from different areas.

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  17. Good Morning Lynne, Now why does this not surprise me, I can just imagine you standing in the wind with your arms spread out enjoying it, the 100 degrees or 100mph ones just wouldn’t work though :^)

    Thank You Lynne I do appreciate you my Friend.

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  18. Hey Betty, Coming from Kansas to the Santa Ana’s you surely know a good bit on this subject, I have never been a fan of the wind when it gets to the point of being an all day deal.

    Bossy Betty and the rest of the bunch are doing really well, no egg production as of yet looking at December for being the right age range for them to start, we will give them until then and if no eggs we will just have to--feed them more and keep doing what we are doing now because the whole bunch is pretty spoiled :^ (TMI? Never, you can tell me anything)

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