Yesterday the weather when we woke up was beautiful; so much so that we rode the motorcycle into Rancho Mirage for breakfast. The sun was warm and radiant so we enjoyed our breakfast out on the patio in total comfort. We returned home, arriving shortly after noon and anticipated enjoying a lovely afternoon. I recall glancing over towards the Banning Pass and I noticed what I thought was a thick haze in the distance.

Well, within 20 minutes of arriving back in the park, the “haze” had transcended upon us in the form of a massive windstorm which was in fact fine sand. In moments, the wind was so strong that we had to quickly bring in the awning and close the windows. In the time it took for us to grasp what it was we were experiencing and take the necessary steps to withstand it (shut the windows, etc.), every surface of the Moho was covered in a layer of dust.

We spent the rest of the afternoon inside, with the windows closed and the air-conditioner on (it was warm, 24C, 75F) cleaning the Moho and eliminating the newly acquired dust. Today the wind continues to blow with gusts reaching as high as 75 miles per hour and the gritty haze remains. The forecast is calling for these gale force winds to continue through to Wednesday. Thanks to global warming (which at long last world leaders and “naysayer's” are being forced to acknowledge) is this a sign of what we have to look forward to in the future?