Okay, eyes better. A half hour of keeping them closed and some moist coolness does wonders. I am sure I can hang on now until 6:00 my time or 8:00 by our ‘offiicial clock’ when we do our formal closing. Often at this hour I am out walking my dog but no way today. We’re not quite in a full brown out (which is like a blizzard only dust instead of snow!) but kind of a gray out which is halfway there.

You see, I live due west by about 15 miles from White Sands (the National Monument) which is a large expanse of white gypsum dust that has eroded over the centuries off the mountains around the valley here. It is beautiful and looks like snow but some of the finer and lighter particles really do blow when we get our spring and late winter winds as storm fronts pass. Northern New Mexico is getting rain; Colorado is getting snow and we are getting dust!! Phooey!!

Here is a picture I took last November and used on some of my Christmas cards. This scene is in the middle of the dune area where there is hardly any plant life growing. It is really amazing!