Blowin’ in the Wind
Spring Weather
This time of year, everything is blowin’ in the wind. Dirt and pollen and pollen and dirt. And that’s just the normal wind. Unfortunately, spring weather also brings in tornadic activity. So, now is time to review some emergency preparedness. Here on the high plains one of the greatest dangers is blowing dirt. Farmers, just like other occupations range in abilities. Fortunately, good stewards of the land incorporate practices to keep fields from blowin’ in the wind. For example, farmers can leave stubble and plant cover crops.
No Till Farming
Long ago, leaving stubble in the field was considered lazy. Now the technique is known as no till and actually has many benefits. Edward H. Faulkner posited the theory in his work Plowman’s Folly released in 1943. Thus, the text is a reaction to the Dust Bowl Days of the 1930s. Tillage is thought to be a main contributor to loss of topsoil. And loss of topsoil means dirt flying through the air.
Blowing dirt is extremely dangerous for those travelling through farm country in the spring. Even Interstate and divided highways can be shut down from loss of visibility due to flying dirt. But most dangerous are the two-lane highways used as alternates. Unfortunately, fatal crashes occur.
Blowin’ in the Wind
Gale force winds not only blow dirt, but also bring down tree branches and entire trees. In turn, the trees can bring down power lines or block roadways. Unfortunately, a repercussion of downed power lines is the potential to spark a wildfire.
Now as a precaution, high winds in areas with trees and above ground power lines translates into electric companies turning off power for hours at a time. When these hours stretch into a day or more, businesses and homeowners suffer consequences. About the only thing you can do about power loss is to have a back-up generator.
Tornadic Activity
In my opinion the worst part of the spring season is the tornadoes that epitomize blowin’ in the wind. Entire towns can disappear if the cyclone is wide enough and strong enough. The destruction is incredible. Survivors can be haunted the rest of their lives.
Emergency preparedness measures for tornadoes can be accessed from the FEMA website by clicking here. Keys to preparedness include weather radios, safe rooms, basements and common sense. The funnel cloud I videoed was almost five miles distant and moving away. Any closer and I would not have captured it. If the radio says seek shelter, do it now.
In our county last year, a farm family received a reverse 911 call telling them they were in the bull’s eye of a tornado. They retreated to the basement. After the storm everything was gone. Don’t fool with Mother Nature, seek shelter when you are in the direct path of one of these storms. So, sign up for reverse 911 calls. Even cell phones can receive these messages.
Prepare for More Blowin’ in the Wind
Severe storms go hand in hand with the season. Fortunately, my corner of the world has not revisited the straight line 100 M.P.H. winds from a few years ago…at least so far this year. I am prepared for power outages and debris clean-up from wind damage, are you?
The High Plains is notorious for late freezes and April 2024 was ushered in with temperatures in the teens. But my Bur Oak has leafed out. In almost 30 years, this tree popping forth new leaves means spring is here. And frost is banished for the summer. Perhaps this changing climate will trick both me and the oak, however I am ready to gamble. And once before the oak did leaf out in April.
Kathy Tucker wrote, and John Sandford illustrated The Leprechaun in the Basement. I checked it out from my local library which always displays holiday themed books just prior to the celebratory day. The book dates back to before the turn of the century but the theme is timeless. A quick search of the Internet yielded prices from three dollars to sixty dollars online. Or you could check your local library.
The Edge is David Baldacci’s follow up to The 6:20 Man. Protagonist Travis Devine returns stateside and is deployed to investigate the murder of a CIA operative. Jenny Silkwell was the daughter of a retired Senator from Maine. Thus, Devine and the reader travel to Maine.
As a parent, I stressed the importance of reading and thus books. Bookshelf wealth is now a thing, but our house has always had a plethora of books. Children’s books, cook books, gardening books, novels and how-to books and many, many text books fill a multitude of bookshelves.
Lessons in Chemistry has been out for over a year and I am late to the party of fandom. A Christmas gift from one of my family members and one I treasure. The novel earns a place in the permanent home library. The delay in reading is attributed to the difficult year of 2023. So, I am very appreciative of the book as it is a great start to 2024.