Fresh air

Sitting at dinner last night we noticed something that had previously escaped our attention. We can open our windows here!

Due to the ever present dust and constant fear of dust storms in West Texas, W and I probably opened our windows 2-3 times each spring and fall. Even with the windows constantly closed, our new home would gather a layer of grit over everything within two hours of being cleaned. Our brand new windows were no match for the fine, red-brown, swirling dust that would creep in and gather sometimes two inches high in the sills. A dust storm would rise from a clear day, blowing at 50-60 miles per hour, dragging trash cans, loose bicycles and yard furniture in it's wake. In Lubbock I learned how to cope with grit in my hair, my teeth and even my ears.

But in North Carolina we have humidity instead of dust! How wonderful it is to open up our windows, turn on the fans and leave the house without fear of coming home to a pile of dirt and a large professional cleaning bill. We are learning to enjoy fresh air and the sounds of birds again!