It is March now. In the laziest of months the prairie winds blow wild here, but in March they really let loose. Only a blue moon hurricane does worse. You have to develop a sort of tolerance for these winds, something my husband never seems to have done. Every year, he spits out, “that wind!” with a grimace and inflection that makes any cuss words unnecessary. He hates the way the afternoon winds kick up in the best of times, and especially when they blow hard in the transitional seasons.
Our winds can make the house rattle, they can send things not battened down halfway across a field. The chimney cap comes off with regularity.
But you can fly kites here, if you have a liking. And you can feel a cool breeze on those blasted July days when the city sits in its breathless dead humidity and heat.
Mornings can often be still. Not in March, though. March can blow a grown woman sideways if you let it. Spring storms are a’coming, with their first blasts still of a cold bluster, but I’m looking forward to those at the end of the month. The time when the unmistakeable warmth of those southeastern winds bring that balminess and scent of warm earth thawed and getting ready for April’s growth spurt.
It is then one can love the wind in its more kindly aspect.
“March can blow a grown woman sideways.”
I love that word picture. That will stick with me.
Tulsa is the same way. Oklahoma winds – and tornados – arrive about now.
Ah, the dreaded winds of spring. The constant wind is probably the main factor keeping us from Ocean Side living. Love the views but hate the wind. I told my hubby I would have to be a ponytail girl with my hair if we lived in a windy place. I do not like the wind blowing on me, well in the heat of summer a breeze is nice :-)
I know they used to talk about the women on the prairie going mad with the howling winds. After a few storms (hurricanes, nor’easters) I can understand why. wow!
I was hoping that March weather would just turn out to be April’s instead. LOL! You must live in the flatter part of our fair state. Do you tear up many umbrella’s? LOL! My Mom and I both ruined ours one windy day in the Fall. She is just a little thing so I told her I would keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t take off like Mary Poppins then we both ended up with no umbrella’s.
Lona
RBH- you should see it happen in RL, LOL! Yes, you have plenty of the Midwestern buffet and bluster, even if you are officially the Southwest. :)
Skeeter, I have my times, but have come to something of a peace with both the wind and the flat lands. Still… someone could probably tempt me to the mountains or the ocean…
I read some of those stories, too, Janet. I never could tell if it was the lonesomeness of the eternal prairie or the winds or both. I think some came to love it for its sense of freedom and open lands. Did they ever really come to terms with the winds? Or the fires that could run on the back of the wind?
Now there is another story to tell :)
Red Bridges- come to think of it maybe it is my place that borrowed *your* blustering winds. We are the the beginning edge of the Great Plains here – flattened out and part of that great tornado alley that reaches up from down yonder :)
The prevailing winds here are the South-westerly ones.
~march wind~
brave daffodils
bent down by strong gusts,
endure lion’s roar.