A Very Nasty Gusty Day

It was a good thing we had decided that today would be a rest day, because there was absolutely NO way we could have been out driving in this weather. The wind during the night just kept getting stronger and stronger with gusts that buffeted Auntie Violet. Neither of us slept well, as we kept getting woken up by the noise and the gusts.

I gave up about six and made a cup of coffee and tried unsuccessfully to download the newspaper. Forry got up a little while later and about then we realized that there was NO traffic on Interstate 40. We heard later that the State Patrol and the Arizona Department of Highways had closed the highway from near Flagstaff all the way to the other side of Winslow due to blowing dust.

Because of the gusts, we took down the TV satellite receiver on the roof. Phone and internet reception were intermittent all day -- I think the cell towers were being shaken too!

It was an absolutely miserable day. Sometimes the keys were even dancing on the wall hanger from all the shaking. The RV Park lost power around noon and we ended up running the generator for a few hours. The Weather Advisory for the area predicted that the wind would slow towards dark and it finally did.

The power came back on about 6 PM and about the same time they reopened the highway. It was quite interesting to watch the huge parade of trucks that had been waiting all day streaming down the road.

There was still a great deal of dust in the air, but at least they had deemed it was safe to travel once again.

We are hoping the weather holds and we can head for Gallup, New Mexico in the morning.