by Pa Rock
Desert Rat
There was no corn as high as an elephant's eye - or any other height for that matter - but last night the wind (and rain) definitely did come roaring down the plain - and across the Valley of Hell.
We have had a few sporadic showers over the past couple of days, and the forecast was for the possibility of another rain teaser yesterday evening. A little after 5:00 p.m. I got a text message from some unnamed government entity warning that a major dust storm was on the way. Being a concerned desert-dweller, I immediately put aside my dinner and the TV remote and rushed outside to get a view of the approaching haboob. Sadly, nothing was apparent other than a smattering of what appeared to be rain clouds.
(That wasn't too surprising because whenever anything newsworthy comes to the Valley, it usually heads straight for Scottsdale or Tempe. Of course, I wasn't sure whether bad weather would follow that protocol or not.)
Things began to get dicey a couple of hours later. I was pounding away at my computer keyboard when I noticed that the television signal was starting to flicker on and off. Then the two bathroom skylights began to rattle and sound like they were going to take off.
Once again I rushed outside.
This time the tranquility was gone, blown away by what appeared to be gale-force winds that were sending sheets of water flying sideways across my recently arid neighborhood. The winds were also taking down tree limbs and pieces of dead fronds from the palms. It was a spectacle seldom seen in this vicinity.
(I stood outside for several minutes - under a carport, and not very well protected - watching my trash can which I had placed on the curb prior to the storm. I fully expected the half-full trash bin to go flying down the street scattering my refuse across the prim and prissy military neighborhood. Eventually the dancing lightening drove me back indoors, and the trash can, heavy even when it's empty, had the amazing good grace to stay put.)
This morning there are pieces of trees and cactus scattered about the base, and even one large, uprooted sign - all souvenirs from a desert storm of grand proportions.
And I understand Scottsdale did get theirs as well, just not exclusively!
Desert Rat
There was no corn as high as an elephant's eye - or any other height for that matter - but last night the wind (and rain) definitely did come roaring down the plain - and across the Valley of Hell.
We have had a few sporadic showers over the past couple of days, and the forecast was for the possibility of another rain teaser yesterday evening. A little after 5:00 p.m. I got a text message from some unnamed government entity warning that a major dust storm was on the way. Being a concerned desert-dweller, I immediately put aside my dinner and the TV remote and rushed outside to get a view of the approaching haboob. Sadly, nothing was apparent other than a smattering of what appeared to be rain clouds.
(That wasn't too surprising because whenever anything newsworthy comes to the Valley, it usually heads straight for Scottsdale or Tempe. Of course, I wasn't sure whether bad weather would follow that protocol or not.)
Things began to get dicey a couple of hours later. I was pounding away at my computer keyboard when I noticed that the television signal was starting to flicker on and off. Then the two bathroom skylights began to rattle and sound like they were going to take off.
Once again I rushed outside.
This time the tranquility was gone, blown away by what appeared to be gale-force winds that were sending sheets of water flying sideways across my recently arid neighborhood. The winds were also taking down tree limbs and pieces of dead fronds from the palms. It was a spectacle seldom seen in this vicinity.
(I stood outside for several minutes - under a carport, and not very well protected - watching my trash can which I had placed on the curb prior to the storm. I fully expected the half-full trash bin to go flying down the street scattering my refuse across the prim and prissy military neighborhood. Eventually the dancing lightening drove me back indoors, and the trash can, heavy even when it's empty, had the amazing good grace to stay put.)
This morning there are pieces of trees and cactus scattered about the base, and even one large, uprooted sign - all souvenirs from a desert storm of grand proportions.
And I understand Scottsdale did get theirs as well, just not exclusively!
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