Extreme Weather

How do you take a picture of the wind?

The windstorm that blew through is finally over. It knocked out our cell phone and our internet services. It went out early this morning and just came back on. We pulled out our crank radio to make sure that it was just the wind. Major roads and portions of freeways were closed down last night before we went to bed, so I wasn't too surprised this morning. Many are without power and will be through tomorrow. This did not affect us since we are off grid. 

It has been a very quiet day without the electronics that we rely on for communication, work and entertainment. It was nice not to be constantly connected to the internet. We do not participate in social media, but we do get our news updates, information and communications through the internet and cell phone like everyone else. I always print hard copies of the important stuff that we need to have on hand to function day to day. 

Imagine if you woke up and you did not have electricity, phone or internet service. It would be quite disturbing if nothing worked, and you were unable to get any information. We usually loose cell and internet service during high winds, so we were not too alarmed. 

I'm certain that many businesses could not run credit and debit card transactions without the internet or phone services. The ones without power probably just closed their doors. We have a lot of travelers year around; I hope that they had some cash with them for food and gas. It's always good to keep a $20 tucked away in your wallet in case of an emergency. Not that a $20 bill goes very far anymore. Make it $40 bucks. It could see you through to the next town with power.

I ventured out to check on the chickens, and I noticed that the canoe was missing. I found that it had sailed around to the other side of our building. It stopped at the end of the tie down that Number One Husband had tied to it before the storm started. There is debris in our fence and yard. I can't tell what most of it is. I won't go out until tomorrow to clean it up. 

Stay safe,

Mrs. Smith

Extreme Weather-Fire Season Has Started!

Fire season seems to start earlier and earlier every year. We have several fires burning already this year. The winds have been relentless, and we have no snow on the ground. The dust storms are raging every day. 

We went for a drive the other day and we saw a beautiful barn hidden in the middle of nowhere. I took a few other pictures as we searched for a place to enjoy without the dust and wind. These old dirt roads we were on were not in great shape. As you can see, they are riddled with the worst washboard bumps that makes driving on them a little less fun. It was absolutely beautiful and worth every bump to at least escape the dust. There was no respite from the wind, but the dust and the smoke were left behind.

The wind is roaring again this morning. A dust storm is flaring up again too, but there is chance of snow in the forecast. I fear what another month will look like if we do not get the Spring snow and rainstorms. 

Don’t worry about tomorrow — tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough trouble already! Matthew 6:34

Shalom,

Mrs. Smith