Here's a good photo of dusty doom!

Phoenix Dust Storm Photo

Yup, that was us swallowed up in a tremendous dust cloud ahead of a apotty rain storm. Some places got dumped on and we got enough to wash some of the dust off.

It started about 7:45 in the evening when I saw the bulltin on tv about a storm warning, that just usually means a storm or possible dust and thunder storms are on the way to us. This one was coming from the south and southeast which is the usual direction for dust thunderstorms in the summer monsoon.

but this was a biggie, that I couldn't tell from the ground. It looked just like the dusty rain clouds we get this time of year. We didn't even have too much wind in my neighborhood. After the local news showed some pics of the airport being swallowed up, I went outside and it was very eerie. It was completely dark by then but our yard lights showeed everything in an orange light. It was still really, and for every molecule of air out there there was a m olecule of dust! All over hands, face, etc. It all sort of hung in the air.

It took an hour for the storm to cover the whole valley. It wasn't just the east valley or the south valley or the center of town (about where I live) that got it, it was the whole of Maricopa County, Apache Junction, Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Avondale, ....etc. it went from southeeast to west and northwest. It passed through and we got some rain after all. Some parts of the valley got more rain than we did.

Slightly overcast today and a small chance for storms this afternoon/evening ... but that one last night was something different. No damage done here ....

Carried tote bag with me to WalMart today...

I find that when I do buy something these days I am remembering to take tote bags or other bags to carry the purchases with me. Clerks in retail, not groceries, don’t seem to be surprised that I’m not interested in one of the stores plastic bags. Maybe there are more people doing this kind of thing.
I’ve ordered/purchased a solar oven! The one I was looking at months ago has gone way up in price—I knew I should have ordered it when I was looking at it then! But I got another one that has more accessories and is more expensive but the other one is now almost as expensive so I’m happy with my choice, or at least until I see what I get and try it out.
Got some small hand gardening tools that will help me repot all the aloes in the back patio. I pulledall the plant pots out of the shed and checked them over. I already have potting soil for cactus/ aloes so I think everything I need is here. The small cacti inside the house need to be repotted, too.
Flooding in the MidWest from bad storms the past week to two weeks. Wonder what that will do to crops, if anything? Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin have been socked pretty badly and that part of the country has been having tornadoes early this year. It’s like tornadoes have had a population explosion the past two months and the season runs through August or September I think.
New Hours on PBS tonight had 15 minute segment on oil prices and why this is happening—prices, demand outstripping supply—they gave the usual reasons.
I think I have someone to replace my shed door/door fram and get a new gate for me! Hooray!
Two more things off the big list of things to do.
Cheers,