We’ve certainly had weather so far this year, haven’t we? Weather, of course, being defined as “anything other than sunny and warm.”

  By the beginning of spring, we’d already seen rain, sleet and snow all in one week. And of course wind. Let’s hope those are the only kinds of weather we do see!

But the wind just couldn’t wait to get here this year, arriving earlier than usual in February with a blast. The first one was heralded with warnings not only from the national weather service and previews from news outlets but from the county emergency management officials as well. But that first one wasn’t as bad as the second blast during which a gust of nearly 100 mph was recorded near Magdalena. Definitely one strong enough to carry off small children and pets!

My trash can was the first to go, tumbling along until it hit the neighbor’s fence. But the really scary view I saw that day was looking out my back window:

The doors on my once-sturdy shed have been gaping open, the victim of time and use. They seemed to be flapping around like they were wings and then the entire shed started huffing and puffing like it was going to fly away. Are we in Kansas yet?

Like they say, Arizona blows and Texas… inhales or something like that.

I remember once, after a good wind, seeing a bit of straw or maybe a small twig sticking straight out of a telephone pole as if it had been a knife. Amazing what mother Earth can do when she wants.

As far as I know, the winds so far haven’t caused any major damage. Mostly, weather in New Mexico is a spectator sport, albeit sometimes a serious one. But if we haven’t seen rain for a long time, when it does decide to rain, many of us will go out and dance in it.

I understand New Mexico has one of the highest incidents of lightning striking humans. Is that because we run out and gape at the sky, thinking “wow is it going to rain?”

At least we’ve had some rain already this year. Often, of course we don’t—and don’t expect it until the Fourth of July. Do you remember the year it didn’t rain and didn’t rain until everyone was praying for rain? Even the churches asked everyone to pray for rain.

And then it came. And came and came. And poured until the streets and roads and fields were flooded.

Another time I remember, years ago, I did not have a dryer but hung my clothes out to dry in the sun. But this time, it rained so much they never dried. Since I was lazy (or hopeful they would) I didn’t bring them inside… Well you know what happened. I had to wash them again.

There is no denying we can almost always use a bit more rain. Thankfully almost no one denies there is a climate crisis nowadays, although there is plenty of disagreement about what to do and how quickly we need to do it. It seems to me, though, that we here in New Mexico are getting wetter with more and more rain.

Which is fine except I like the sun. I like the hot. I didn’t sign up to live in a jungle.

Gwen Roath | Guest Writer