Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Humidity

Stepping outside is like walking into a bowl of warm honey. Sweet as the magnolias, thick and heavy. Instantly covered in sweat, you wish you had joined that nudist colony you once read about in a David Sedaris story. But the nudists are just as frustrated as you are, and they have no clothes left to shed. Even the fish sweat on a day like today.

Where normally you could draw a ruler across the skyline, it now grows billowing mountains in a game of red light/green light. "I think those clouds will miss us," you try to convince yourself. Dark and impending, they are as heavy as the humidity.

First, the wind is a hot breath, blowing casually from the thunderheads, but as the shades of gray exchange for sickly greens the wind's direction switches and the temperature drops. It is sudden and violent, the way the thunderstrom forces its way through the ctiy and beach.

When it passes, there is a breif sigh of relief as the cool breeze has swept the stagnant, humid air away. Only when you start to survey the tree damage and flooding drains do you notice the thick, hot, sweet smelling air settling back on your skin.

This is the Chesapeake Bay in late June. You didn't expect the humidty to be gone for good, did you?

12 comments:

  1. Nicely put,the East Coast humidity is brutal all summer, I feel your pain as I ponder whether or not I want to fish on Saturday with triple digit heat. I have always been told at least in North Carolina "if you don't like the whether stick around, it will change".

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    1. Well put. It sure does change on a dime. It keeps things interesting. I can only take the humidity for so long :)

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  2. I've lived in the South (Memphis, Knoxville, Jackson, and now Birmingham) my whole life. Humidity is really all I know of summer. One of the strangest things I ever experienced was going to Death Valley and trying to make a sandwich on the side of the road only to have my bread effectively become dry toast when it hit the air. At least with some good humidity around you don't have to worry about dry bread.
    Just three more months or so... be strong.

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  3. I will. I will be strong :) I appreciate diversity in my weather. This is more humidity than I used to. (I'm used to about 2 weeks of intesnity in August). And dry bread is only good when I want toast. Which is most mornings, but I've got a toaster to beat the humidit. I admire your strength.

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  4. David
    I can't believe you have humidity like that in that area. I thought we in the deep South only had the bad humidity. I hate this type weather. I hope you guys get some relief soon.

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    1. bill,
      today feels like a day off from the humidity. but I know there will be more. I like the way Jay looks at it, (above) there are still some good things that come from the humidity :)

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  5. I'm a little worried. My buddies and I are fishing on Friday and it's going to be interesting.

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  6. Come to Kentucky, we've got weather you can wear. JGR

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    1. ha. I'll have to do that. But I feel like I'm wearing it already :)

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  7. Very well done! You made me remember...all too well. ;)

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  8. ha. I'm sorry if it isn't a happy memory :)

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