Going out Like a Lion

 

For us up here in the Central Mountains of New Mexico, March came in like a lamb with beautiful blue skies, sunshine and temperatures above 70F every day.

I enjoyed keeping my windows open all day to let the warm breezes inside. It was heavenly.

But all that changed yesterday. The winds blew in with full force, gusts up to 60 mph. From my bedroom balcony I can gauge the strength of the winds by watching my neighbor’s flags and the way his flagpole bends with the force.

Yesterday was pretty brutal. The flags never even had a few seconds to furl and rest.

I had some errands to do down in Albuquerque yesterday and was curious to see if the city was also affected by the wind and how much.

I’ve lived in New Mexico for close to 20 years and have never seen the winds so strong as to fill the air with so much brown cloud dust that it completely hides the Sandia and Manzano Mountains from view. I couldn’t even see beyond the city and enjoy the normally expansive views. Mt. Taylor at almost 12,000 ft high, and only 80 miles away near Grants, NM was just a figment of my imagination.

There were times driving through the canyon that I felt that my van might even tip over or I might lose control from the strong gusts.

As many of y’all know we’ve been very dry here.  We haven’t had a lick of rain since last August and only a couple snowfalls all winter. Us folks in New Mexico have been a little envious of some of y’all’s rain and snow, especially since we all fear Fire Season every summer.

Sometime last night I awoke to the pitter patter on our windows and roof, of what seemed like rain. I smiled and fell back to sleep.

But upon waking up, we were disappointed not to see wet ground and water puddles, but instead what appeared to be Dippin Dots.

Not even real snow. And it had melted and evaporated soon after I took this photo.

 

Now we’re back to the fierce winds.

Looks like March is Going Out Like a Lion.