Saturday, May 21, 2016

MARIA

Away out here they've got a name
For rain and wind and fire
The rain is Tess,
The fire's Joe
And they call the wind Maria

That was the opening of a popular song by the Kingston Trio back in the 1960's.

Maria was pronounced not like the heroine of West Side Story - Mah-REE-ah, but as Mah-RIGH-ah.

Regardless of pronunciation, away out here where I live, Maria is a bitch.

I know.

I shouldn't complain.

And generally I don't.

After all, I am not plagued by hurricanes or earthquakes or ice storms or blizzards or tornadoes or (I am 80 miles from Phoenix and something over 4,000 feet higher) extreme heat or (I am 80 miles from Flagstaff and something over 2,000 feet lower) extreme cold.

But I do have wind.

Fierce, gusting wind.

The past couple of days there has been a High Wind Alert issued by the Weather Service for our area, with gusts of 50 miles per hour.

It's above 70 degrees and I sat out on the front porch for awhile this evening with a cool drink and watched the wind whipping the trees around.

It's supposed to die down some tomorrow.

Only 10 to 20 miles per hour.

Or more.

Don't trust the Weather Gods.

And don't sing me that damn song any more.

Unless you change the wind's name to Lucretia!


6 comments:

  1. Isn't that the truth? I think much more of this wind and we could all go insane! I have visions of bats and birds in my hair. I laughed as I drove by the Flea Market. All that dirt swirling like a dervish and the people were still 'shopping and swapping'.

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  2. If Maria is a bitch, what is Lucretia?
    We've had strong winds here on the coast as well.

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  3. Lucretia McEvil is it?

    Steve

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  4. "There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."

    Raymond Chandler, "Red Wind."

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    1. For years I attributed that great passage to Joan Didion from "Slouching Towards Bethlemen" until I realized recently that she was quoting Chandler. It is an incredible piece of writing.

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  5. We do not get that much wind where we live here in Bavaria...but about three hours from here, in the Alps, the wind is intense.

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