(of weather or a period of time) characterized by strong winds.
“a gusty, blustery day”
Blustery. The word has been stuck in my mind all day and I really like it. It isn’t a commonly used word, but that’s how the National Weather Service is describing the next 2 days. Blustery.
We’ve had the most unusual winter so far. In the fall the long range forecast was for La Nina to be the influence with warmer than normal and dry conditions. I was okay with the warmer but not the dry. Well, that fell apart in December with the first cold front and snowfall. Totally unexpected, but what fun to watch the large flakes coming down and quickly covering everything with a white blanket that remained until the next morning.
So now we’re looking at blustery with a winter-mix for the next 2 days. Preparations are being made to keep the roads open and schools have already announced closures. I’ve made taco soup today and have everything to make a batch of broccolli cheese soup tomorrow; I’m in good shape and may even make a chess pie for a little indulgence. So for tonight there was nothing to do except enjoy the chimenea and a beverage while thinking about the blustery arrival around midnight!
retrieived from the National Hurricane Center website 25 August 2017
This is not a post that I intended to do, it’s just happening. We’re waiting on Hurricane Harvey to arrive, but we’re not sure where he’s going. I don’ think he is either! With each update the path seems to change. Regardless, South Texas is ready and we are waiting.
I just had a flashback to tracking hurricanes on a paper chart during the late 1980’s and through the 1990’s. I always used a pencil that could be erased, although I left the marks for Hurricane Andrew as I had tensely charted it knowing that hubby could be in it’s path. It would change it’s path and become a Category 5 hurricanne bringing terrible destruction. I would wait for each update with paper chart and pencil ready. My source was either the local news or the Weather Channel. Long before the NHC and NWS were always a click away.
I had another flashback to 1969 when we were visiting my grandparents north of Jackson, Mississippi that August. I was a young teenager and oblivious to any tropical storm in the Gulf; I was just loving my time with my grandparents. When my mother suddenly went into packing mode and announced that I needed to get my things together I was puzzled as to why we were heading home. The response was that Daddy had been watching a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico and thought it best for us to head home. It was a good decision because had we waited we would have been riding out Hurricane Camille, also a Category 5 hurricane.
September 1961: we had just returned from overseas, drove cross country in our little Volkswagen Beetle arriving in San Antonio Texas to settle into our new home. We were greeted by Hurricane Carla, a Category 3 storm. I can still remember the relentless rain and trying to get in and out of the car.
Final memory, only I don’t remember this one. My mother and her small daughter rode out Hurricane Audrey in Alexandria Louisiana; my father had been tapped to fly out an airplane to a safer base. Save the plane, please. My mother accepted it as part of being a military wife and having grown up experiencing hurricanes. She reminded me of having done this when Hurricane Katrina was approaching and told me the wild story of driving to the store in the pre-hurricane rains to get milk and ice. When Daddy was able to get back to the base they evacuated for 2 weeks only to come home to several inches of water in their house. Yes, they rode out Katrina!
So Harvey, where are you and what are you going to bring? Today I watch on the internet to find out where hurricanes are, I see live pictures on television and the web cams. Accurate forecasting keeps me informed even if the storm seems to wander. Times have changed, but hurricanes still bring their destruction and are not to be ignored.
And the rain came down and down and down. It isn’t unusual to go for months without rain and then receive a flooding deluge; we then remark that it is feast or famine. The forecast last week was for rain starting on Thursday and continuing through Sunday; this time it was true and it did rain. For my area it was a slow, steady, soaking rain that was much needed. The usual low places flooded and I think that a few people were rescued safely (really people, don’t mess with rising water!).
The rain threw a “monkey-wrench” in Saturday plans for many groups. I choose early Saturday morning to skip the dog show Bentley was entered in after watching the radar over the area we had to travel. But, it worked out well as I had many things to do and wasn’t really inclined to hassle with getting a dog and his gear in and out of a semi-outdoor facility in a pouring rain.
Around noon today (Sunday) the rain stopped and the wind began to blow. It blew and blew and blew until the clouds were gone and the sun came out. What a beautiful sight after several days of dark skies! Bright, beautiful sunlight to shine on us again.
Of course, the sun was there all the time, just hidden from our view. Like a lot of things in life, right? Thanksgiving for the rain, thanks to the wind, and welcome back to the sun!
