Harmatan

In a previous post I mentioned the harmatan, but I need to expand on that a bit. When weather conditions are right--only in the dry season--dry, dusty winds blow in off the Sahara Desert. If you are familiar with West Africa, then you know the desert is a long way from Liberia, so that dust has traveled quite a distance. It looks like smog and was bad enough on Wednesday that the Delta flight from the States was canceled because of poor visibility. Probably other flights have been canceled, too, but we just haven't heard about them. We have never seen it this "bad" for so long.
One other "bad" thing is the amount of dirt it brings in the house. This morning as I walked down the hall from our bedroom, I could see footprints in the dust on the floor--and the floor had been swept yesterday! Everything--and I mean EVERYTHING--has a layer of dirt on it. At least I don't have to be embarrassed about that kind of dirt; it's everywhere, not just in our house! Whew!!!

I put "bad" in quotes because the harmatan also has good aspects. The "dry" air is most welcome! "Dry" is also in quotes because it is a relative term. Humidity at 67%, where it is right now, feels very comfortable with the temperature at 83. (If I'm not mistaken, in the States humidity at 70% is called "oppressive"! Ha!) Also, the dust in the air blocks the sun like a cloud cover so it isn't as hot. Nights can really cool off. The other morning I came out of our air conditioned bedroom to find it cooler in the rest of the house! In fact, it was rather chilly--all the way down to 72!!! (I know I'm adjusting to the heat when I think 72 is chilly!)

Ok, school's over for today! And just think, no test tomorrow! (I'm a good teacher!?!)