Sand in the Air

My grill after a weekend of Saharan sand.

The streak of dark black is where I ran my 

finer down the grill late Sunday to show 

how much grit had accumulated.

25 March 2024

 

As we move between the forceps and the stone we are always subject to new experiences. Over a couple of days this past weekend I experienced what happens when Saharan sand blows west over the Iberian Peninsula. This experience reminded me that even in familiar surroundings unexpected events and external forces (like Saharan sand) can disrupt our lives. This cloud-borne sand highlighted life's unpredictable nature. This weather also reminded me of the need to quickly adapt to life’s surprises. The joys of adaptation aside, in my humble opinion a sand-filled weekend is a less than optimal experience all around. 

 

We had been warned for several days that the sand was coming. From late Friday through Sunday night’s sunset the sky took on a yellow and grey tint. Over that period all the cars on the street amassed about 1/32 of an inch of grit on their roofs and hoods. The baseboards in my house, even though we kept the windows mostly closed, need cleaning now. Clearly, it was not just the bare surfaces of this city of stone and iron that were impacted. My lungs took a beating. 

 

Went out for a fancy breakfast on Saturday. On my way to the delight that was a plate of lemon pancakes at the Quase Café I had to take a breather sitting on a stone bench to catch my breath. Yes, it was an uphill walk to the newly built funicular, and yes I had not slept well the night before. However, the lolling of my tongue out of my mouth like some over-exerted Bassett hound was tied solely to the difficulty caused by breathing sand air. On Sunday the air was terrible, more so than on Saturday, and I didn’t even venture outside save for a quick trip to the small grocery store a mere seven doors away. 

 

But time passes and today is Tuesday. Overnight on Sunday the wind’s direction shifted. Now also a decent rain has moved in and the air smells clean. When the clouds part here, as they frequently do because spring rains are not steady rains, the sky is bright and clear blue. This shift in the weather is a welcome change, and the blue skies accompanying it are refreshing.