Acclimation

Getting accustomed to an environment can be a long process. Not matter how long I live out here, I don't think I will ever truly get used to the wind and dirt. I lived out here for a year and a half for graduate school two years ago, and the wind never blew like it has this spring. Oh, it still blew, but not like this year. Today, we saw a temperature of 103 and wind speeds up to 40 mph. With very low humidity, it can seem like a living in a blow dryer - an analogy suggested by a lifelong resident of West Texas.

During the spring, the fields that surround the city are bare dirt, planted with cotton seeds awaiting enough moisture to break the surface. Consistent 20-40 mph winds and loose dirt can create for "thick" skies.


Needless to say, this is a phenomenon that is never seen in the grass covered hills of the Ozarks. Once the cotton begins to come up and anchor itself in the red soil, the flying dust will become more scarce and eventually die down. But until then, we just have to take advantage of every nice day when we get one.