Wild Wicked Weather

The weather in Riyadh has been crazy the last two months. It started with the huge sandstorm that got international press--the worst sandstorm in 30 years or more. I was sitting in my office at the RSAF. General Faisal comes in "Tim, Lenny go to the window there is a storm." We get up and hurry to a window. By the time we got there the sand had overtaken the building. Outside it was red and orange as if the outside was on fire and we were being protected--like a sci-fi movie. The guys showed us what the sandstorm looked like as it came down the street--right out of a Hollywood movie special effects. We left work early and it was like driving in fog--you could hardly see in front of you. Laurie said that some parents were coming to get their children out of school early. Wild.
Then a few days later it rained--which is unusual for this time of year in Riyadh. It wasn't a sprinkle--it was a nice thunder and lightning rain. It washed away the dust and cleaned all the trees. It also flooded areas of Riyadh--then they send trucks to suck up all the water so traffic can flow again. It rained for two evenings--very nice.
After the rains the weather seemed to calm down the sun came out and the ground started drying up. People were enjoying the nice sunny warm days.
Then the winds came. It just started getting windy one day. And with the wind it got chilly. Not freezing--to us it was because anything below 70 is cold. It did drop down to the 50's--people were wearing their gloves and scarf’s. The wind blew for two days--The Wizard of Oz type wind (before the tornado). I was wishing we had a dog named Toto just in case we blew away. Wicked.
Then the winds stopped, no more rain and the sand was settled. The temp was rising to 90--all seemed right. Yesterday a sandstorm. Laurie and I walked out to the car and there was sand everywhere. We decided to pick Timmie up from Taekwondo instead of letting him come home on his bike. We went and picked him up. The wind and sand were crazy.
Last night I went out with the guys. Had a dinner party at a straha (I didn't spell it right but it's a place you rent and then invite your family and friends and have a party--this one had a very small pool, small volleyball court, tent for dining and a room with couches--very nice). There was a gentle cool breeze--as if there had never been the sandstorm one hour earlier. Crazy.
All my Saudi guys were even saying that weather has been crazy this year. The US military put out a warning that wicked weather may be here until May. They also warned that the weather this year has been very unusual. Yeah--wild wicked weather--what an adventure.