Usually, people associate sandstorms with desert-y places; i.e. from whence we came. Egypt had some whoppers. Though Spencer has reported that there has been one in Baghdad that put the biggest whopper we ever saw in Cairo to shame.
In Cairo, the air would be even worse that usual. Visibility would be reduced to barely being able to see across the street. The air would be yellow and your mouth & other orifices filled with grit. Sand & dirt would sneak in through every available crack in the house; through the bathroom fan, under the doors, in windows, etc.
Today in Rexburg, I had a bit of dejavu. We had a little sandstorm. And I think some people in the neighborhood thought the end of the world was coming. The mommies were rounding up kids cowboy style in the streets; urgently pushing them indoors for fear of being blown away like Dorothy. Kids came running from far corners of the neighborhood covering their heads and screaming like banshees. Seriously. My kids, on the other hand, ran out to the porch and said, almost lovingly,
"Awww, it's a hamseen just like Cairo!"
(a hamseen is a sandstorm, but also used to describe the sandstorm season; about 50 days, hamseen)
Well, not really kids, but it's quite impressive for Rexburg, ID. We just like to keep things interesting here.
P.S.
I've added a new label: 'weather'. It occurred to me that we will be seeing a new variety of weather here; SEASONS!!! Leaves are already starting to fall, the mornings are crisp and afternoons lovely. Fall, come on in, I've been waiting for you!
2 comments:
Oooh! Fall! :)
Back in the Dirty Thirties there were a lot of sandstorms in the Dustbowl...I think Idaho is in the Dustbowl, maybe. I know Alberta is.
We had a few pretty "exciting" duststorms when I lived there.
Sand! ;) funny what kids think is normal! We had to get used to the air being too 'heavy' - humidity - because it was so different from Cairo, and I am not so sure they believe me when I tell them about the storms we had when I was a kid in Florida... where the wind, rain, and lightning made picking up tree bits was a very regular thing. We're looking forward to 'snow' this winter in Jordan... I think they have visions of huge piles of fluffy whiteness ;-D
Post a Comment