I Guess It Isn't Always Dust & Haze...

As I woke up this morning, I checked the clock. It read 0734 and I promptly rolled over for a few more moments of sleep. Once in a while, on certain Sundays I can sleep a little longer and I relish it. I kicked myself out of bed after a few moments of stretching and got dressed.

When I opened the door to my CHU, I couldn't help but squint out at the blazing brightness. There's always a tinge of haze or dust in the air around here. The wind kicks it up. Today, however, was very clear with a brilliant blue sky and light winds. I was marveling at the clarity...it reminded me of home.

Yesterday was nice too. Perfect for the story I had the luck of covering for MND-B. My commander, SSG Edson (a broadcast journalist), Osman (our interpreter/translator), and myself ventured out to see how some people here on Victory Base Complex work with the youth of Iraq to help rebuild a Boy Scout/Girl Guide program. It was great! I saw and interacted with kids ranging in ages from 3 years old to 17 years old. I'll post the story and photos once it's released by MND-B.

So, today I was bringing SGT Risner to the Reserve retention office and we had the windows down and the radio blaring out "Rocket Man" by Elton John. I felt like I was somewhere in L.A. or Miami with the nice weather and tall palm trees swaying in the wind.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. The wind, which got stronger as the day waned, brought in more dust and now, like days before, we have a beige haze that engulfs everything. It's like someone turned down the contrast on a photo.

So much for that beautiful weather. It was nice while it lasted and I'm glad I got to revel in it while it lasted. I'm actually missing the big, fat, dark clouds that precede a good thunderstorm that we see in Houston. Clouds rarely appear here. So I guess it isn't always dust and haze...once in a while we'll enjoy a jewel of a day. Pretty soon we'll endure the heat...that's another story altogether.

---And look out! Less than an hour later, that haze and dust moved out and the clear sky dominated the landscape again. Now, you can see all the stars twinkling and it's cooling down....time to head to my CHU.