March Winds

Wind Carnage – Photo: L. Weikel

I mentioned in last night’s post that I could hear the wind shifting dramatically as I wrote. The wind was suddenly coming in from the south, the first evidence of that being the shhh shhh, shhh I could hear as it blew through the tops of the 30’ pines across the road. The March winds whipped up so quickly, at first I thought I was hearing rain pouring from the sky.

There was no rain, and that explains at least partially why tonight, last night, and I believe the night before, the Weather Service issued wild fire warnings, which is something I find quite unsettling to consider here on the East Coast.

Indeed, I just checked and there’s actually a “Fire Weather Watch” issued for 8:00 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday) through 8:00 a.m. Monday. The warning is a result of continued gusty winds and very dry conditions. In fact, the relative humidity is a mere 19%, which seems astonishing given all the precipitation we’ve had this winter.

It just feels like the weather is increasingly ‘feast or famine.’ Although we might attribute the pendulum swings to typical March weather generally, it just seems as though the extremes are greater and happen much more quickly. One day we need flood control and the next we need to be careful of the tinderboxes our fields have become.

Last Night’s Carnage

I had to laugh when I went outside this morning, though. I could tell from the agitation of the wind chimes last night that there was a good chance we’d have to go on a search for the seat cushions blown off the porch. Boy was that an understatement. We even had to retrieve the glider itself.

Note to self: when trying to keep the cushions from getting blown off the porch by cleverly tying them to the frame of the glider, it’s possible that well intentioned strategy will result in the entire apparatus getting whisked over the edge.

Cleaning Out

Regardless of how many cushions and pillows were strewn about the yard, there was a refreshing clarity to everything this morning. It feels like the March winds are sweeping the stuffy, cooped-up air out of our homes and off our porches, and whisking freshness back into our lives.

Even though the temperatures dropped at least 10-15 degrees from yesterday’s indulgent taste of spring, Spartacus and I couldn’t resist the temptation to soak up some sun and engage in some porch time again this afternoon.

And as the winds purge the cobwebs from our hearts and minds, I’m eager to see how much else I can clear out as well. I feel the urge to lighten our load on many levels.

It’s time!