I've Been through the Desert on a Horse with no Name...

Actually, after leaving the desert of southern New Mexico...

When I arrived in Mississippi a year ago, just as June got underway, I looked forward (with some trepidation) about what the summer and humidity would be like. I knew (intellectually) that even if the temperatures were not in the triple digits in the summer in Mississippi, the humidity would be in the high double digits and that it would be a different but just as uncomfortable heat—maybe worse. In the desert in the summer when it rains (and I might add at higher altitudes there) the rainfall can be cold, and after a good rain, the air is cool and there is a respite from the baking temperatures and relentless sun. I didn't think the rain would bring as much respite from the summer heat in Mississippi.

I've only lived through one complete summer here in Mississippi, and we're moving into my second summer. June has turned out to be hot and muggy, but I was delighted that a cloudy day and a little gentle rainfall does wonders in a different way than the rainfall in the summer in the desert. Yes, it feels wet after a rain, and no, even if the temps don't plummet nearly as far as after a cold desert rain, it can still be quite pleasant. So, I'll go with the hope that, unlike last summer, we get more rain. Last summer much of Mississippi suffered a drought, but as Fall came on and through the winter, the drought lifted. The worst day I can recall from last summer was when I traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in July to attend a book club meeting. I wouldn't have missed it, because they were discussing one of my novels. The sun was relentless that day, and the meeting took place in a strip shopping center in a Metropolitan Church meeting room. The L-shaped center faced right into the afternoon sun, and I can remember sucking in the hot, wet air before scurrying into the building.

There were also soul-sucking, muggy and hot days here in Columbus, when I stepped out of my air-conditioned car on my way into the post office, and thought, "yes, this is really miserable heat." But I'm really not complaining. I was grateful that I didn't have a job that required me to work out in the heat, and my heart went out to construction workers that were roofing a house or mowing the grass, and I hoped that they were getting plenty of water. Even here, I noticed that people seek the shade to park their cars under and pedestrians walk on the side of the street when they can to get under awnings or walk on the shady side of buildings. When I have to do yard work (now that I finally have my lawnmower and edger and other garden tools) I only do it in the mornings when it's not quite as hot or at dusk, just after sunset.

But this all adds up to the fact that if I made it through all four seasons last year, I can do it again this year. Winter was mild here, but not as mild as southern New Mexico. Even then I welcomed the rain and the clouds, but perhaps the very best difference between here and the desert of southwest New Mexico is the lack of incessant wind from the west, and a companion to that blessing is that here the dust doesn't blow non-stop and coat everything.

Now...about those tornadoes, warnings, and sirens...


Thanks America for your haunting lyrics