i am about to experience my first dust storm. very odd. i can taste the dirt already and the storm isn't even upon us yet. psychological? (pause to examine taste in mouth) nope. it is real enough. the sight of the storm coming on was surreal. as i drove home from work all looked normal (fought to keep the car on the road, though). the mountains behind the house gleamed pink in the afternoon sun. then just a few minutes after i had come home, the mountains were completely obscured. the dust crawled our way like some ominous entity bent on consuming us - which it now seems to have done. my brother warns that sleep will not be easy. the wind itself is noisy enough, but when it throws sand at your windows...

i'll be back with a post-sandstorm update if i survive the night.