Tumbling Tumbleweeds

I watched a really scary movie the other night! I went to bed and had nightmares all night long! The name of the movie was “The Wizard of Oz”. Stop laughing, I’m not kidding! I mean, who’d of thunk it? I’ve seen the movie a zillion times.
What was different this particular night is that we live in a high wind area and this night, winds howled by at 40 mph. I heard that in my sleep and pretty soon started dreaming about my house spinning round and round. The witch flew by screeching obscenities. Trees, cars and trains blew by my dream window (I also live near train tracks and a highway). Although exhausted, I was relieved to see that my house was still where it belonged when I awoke!
Wind is our primary weather problem here on the Columbia River. I think the reason they seem so strange is that they come alone- unaccompanied by rain or snow. This is unlike most other areas of the country with their tornados, hurricanes, gales, blizzards, etc.
I have been in this area for 10 yrs. There is still a phenomenon that occurs with these high winds that I have not been able to accustom myself to- the tumbleweed migration! It very much resembles herds of animals trying to cross the road. A herd of tumbleweeds will be crossing the road at a point in the highway. You can see whole families- great big grandpa and daddy tumbleweeds are followed closely by medium sized grandma and mommy ones, then the teenagers (you can tell them by attitude as well as size, they keep jumping out of line), they are followed by the younger ones rolling very fast in an effort to keep up with the bigger tumbleweeds.
Once in awhile, you’ll catch a glimpse of a rogue out on it’s own but they tend to stay at the side of the road. They don’t often try to cross the road on their own. However, there are times when you see one that didn’t make it plastered on the front grill of a car or truck.
Even harder for me to bear are the tumbleweeds that now tumble with a limp because they did get hit- their roll is not smooth and lightening fast anymore, it’s more like a grocery cart with a broken wheel- kerthump, kerthump, kerthump. I find them particularly heartbreaking!
And than there are the “Prison Break” weeds- they pile themselves against a fence or barrier until others can just roll over them and get over the fence! That’s a rare but amazing sight.
Now that I live in Oregon maybe I should start a “Protect Migrating Tumbleweed” movement. Never mind, someone probably already has.
Well, that’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?