Hello Everyone,
Today I’m addressing something a little different from the usual. Although I will be drifting in and out of the pursuit of the “eerie vibe” I want to address the desert heat and sun.
Southeast Arizona:
In southeast Arizona where I live there is a very extreme heat the roles in around May and lasts to the end of August. Don’t’ get me wrong it is usually hot beyond those times and sometimes it’s a shorter or longer stretch but I feel that those dates are the more extreme temperatures of around 100 degrees or more. The lack of rain, minus the monsoons that don’t’ seem to be as strong as they use to, also adds to this intense feeling of heat and dryness as the areas flora shifts colors to dead and the fauna only are usually visible in the early mornings and late evenings. Now the monsoons still role in and relieve those types of temperatures and harsh light blue skies that almost seem white sometimes but then they also bring with them the humidity that many people hate. Also they bring our summer bug fest, so to speak, or when the bugs come out in high force.
Is it Eerie?
To me, no. The monsoons like I’ve mentioned in previous posts can have this effect on me but the dry arid climate of the early summer months doesn’t usually do anything for setting an eerie mood with me. I was trying to think of something that would provide this feeling when the time of year roles around and then finally I did.
Haboobs and other types of sandstorms came into mind. I’ve driven through several on my way to Yuma or Phoenix and they sure make you clench up in fear form not only the driving conditions but also the sudden change in the noise of sand and dust hitting the outside of the vehicle or the daylight becoming almost a twilight. I also started thinking about the wondering feeling of a dry barren desert landscape that harbors mirages in every direction with the promise of one thing, dehydration or death. These feelings of eeriness can exist in all types of climates and don’t’ always have to be the stormy nights or the dark corners of everything because sometimes the sunlit areas are enough to set someone’s mood when the extremes are set in place properly.
On That Note:
Everyone be safe out there this summer. Stay hydrated and watch the sunburns. Also be careful on the roads because there have been an abundance of sandstorms this year and the summer is just beginning.
Thanks for Reading,
Joshua Crane Dowidat
