Piece Four: The Wind

At the petroglyphs site on Sunday, the wind was astonishing.  Gusts up to 50 miles per hour, or more - on the drive home afterwards, the visibility on the road ranged from fair to poor to occasionally nonexistent.  It was possible to see walls of sand and dust traveling across the terrain, both at the site and on the road. 

Although the path through the petroglyphs was not particularly strenuous, it nevertheless was tricky to navigate because of the wind, and photographing the stones was difficult because it was impossible to hold the camera still. Standing upright was next to impossible - everyone hunched and leaned into the wind, lest they blow over.

The wind blotted out sound with its roar.  It eliminated vision when eyes needed to be closed against the flying sand.  It left molecules of grit in the mouth and yet passed to quickly to leave scent in the nose.  It pressed vehemently on every inch of skin, slicing through clothing with ease, and tangled hair into incredible knots. 

All sensory input other than the touch of the wind was diminished, eliminated, erased.  Time and thought were suspended.  There was naught but the wind.

It was magnificent.