Red Flag Warning

During the summer, we experience numerous Red Flag Warnings in southern Utah.  These warnings are posted by the National Weather Service and signify that we are entering a period of critical fire weather conditions.  In other words, stand by for hot, dry, and windy.  The NWS has posted such a warning for today.  The trouble is that summer has not even started.  The other problem is that summer started a month ago.  That is, the calendar shows one thing and the conditions show another.  At The Homestead our last appreciable rain came on 18 May, so we've already gone a month without moisture.  And the wind . . . we've had strong wind nearly every day.  The heat and the sun can be hard on our gardens and tree plantings, but the desiccating wind is worse.  It is under these conditions that the violence of the ancient King David's curse in Psalm 11 takes on real meaning for me:  "a scorching wind will be their lot."