Valley wind events

It’s the third week of January and we have had three wind events this year. None were long lived like last year—but all delivered a punch.

Watching Wind from Inside the Window—There is beauty and comfort watching the wind from inside the window. When you see the winds whipping the snow at the tip top of surrounding mountain peaks, it looks ethereal. When you see the winds silently sculpting field furrows and woods wedges, it is artistic. There is a certain amazement to this invisible force of wind. It is unseen but powerful. The signature of the wind is obvious everywhere it ventures Often we judge the winds velocity by windicators. Windicators are not scientific equipment; instead they are the everyday things which begin to wave with the wind’s presence. For a gentle breeze you will see leaves or twigs or trash begin to dance lightly over horizontal surfaces. At about 10 mph you will see the flags wave with energy and larger tree limbs lean away from the wind. At 20 mph entire small trees begin to bend, flags are fully stretched and whipping. It is at this point that garbage cans, lids, and small carts begin to wander clumsily around the neighborhood. Birds in flight become erratic and jagged with swift, abrupt avian-alterations. It is also from this point upward where the wind to makes noises and causes your home to shake or shudder. As the gusts grow and the time persists, watching the wind is less enjoyable. It is now a non-forgiving force which rattles and batters, smacks and slams, screams and punches. Out of control shopping carts, trash bags, tree limbs, trampolines, car parts, deck chairs and small pets are assaulted and chased by the wind. We all begin the preparations for losing power, pouring water into saved containers, adding blankets to the couch, finding the flashlights and lanterns, and powering up devices. There is an underlying thankfulness that despite velocity of the wind’s force, we have shelter and helpful neighbors. We hope no one is out and unprepared in this wind storm.

What the Winds Wrought—The big wind is over, leaving the Palmer area looking somewhat like a scarred moonscape, complete with craters and abrasions. Until we receive new snow, this pockmarked landscape will remind us of the fierce strength of wind. Fields are scoured, large drifts of snow are now concretized, and all of nature’s debris is far-flung on the crusty remains of the snow.

Silence After the Wind—Hearing the wind stop is one of the best sounds in Palmer. The howling stops. The violent clanging of flag pole cables stop. Mothers stop moaning. Babies stop crying. Dogs stop whining. The silence is sweet. We treasure the abatement of the wind.

After the Week of Wind—This is the time to go hunting. We look for our trash can lids. Our garden ornaments. Our trampolines. Our shovels. The snow sticks. All of the items that free ranged last week, because of the wind, are now up for retrieval. Neighbors exchange items and shovel and shuffle happily without the wind. There is gratitude for having safe homes during the wind storms despite the chaotic aftermath.

Grateful to Our Palmer Heroes—Finally, after the wind events, we thank the heroes. We thank the Linemen, the power companies, the telephone utilities, the news providers and the radio stations. We thank the fuel deliverers and the snowplow operators. We thank the road crews, emergency dispatch, law enforcement and fire departments. These continual and constant workers can never be thanked enough.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222