Flying Fronds

My least favorite kind of weather is blowing through. No amount of bath oil or moisturizer can replace what is being sucked from my skin. I feel like a withered old hag with my dry, itchy skin and peeling lips. The whistling and banging sounds from outside is also starting to get on my nerves and I'm not going to even try to describe what my hair looks and feels like. No photo today.

Driving was more than the usual challenge. My car was sandblasted and people kept weaving in and out of lanes to avoid tumbleweeds and palm fronds. The fronds were so big and sharp looking that I really didn't want to find out what would happen if I hit one.

Once I got into the Valley, the plant hazards were replaced by an even scarier one. There was a large piece of metal bouncing across the freeway. I hit it. A car up ahead of me hit it also and pulled over to the side, disabled apparently. I held my breath and nothing happened. I arrived safely at work.

Coming home was worse. The winds were stronger and it appeared that I was driving through fog, but it was dust. There was a section of freeway where the visibility suddenly dropped to zero. I couldn't see the lanes and was navigating by Braille with the Bots dots. Not wanting to drive at 75 miles per hour through zero visibility, I hit the brakes and hoped that the cars behind me were doing the same. I'm glad that I did because a few seconds later I discovered that a car up ahead of me was nearly stopped. They should close the freeway when that happens, but then I have no idea how I would get home. I only know the freeway route.

So, that was my biggest adventure today. I'm glad that I'm finally home and can finally climb into my nice warm bed. I really hate the Santa Ana's.