The Wind

     Sometimes it seems like the wind always blows here in Owyhee County. Of course, that's not true. It just blows here much of the time.

     Here's the thing about the wind; It's notoriously difficult to photograph. So I went and found the most wind-susceptible tree I could and photographed it instead.
     In agriculture the wind must always be taken into account. I searched in vain for a farmer who was bold enough to work his ground in the strong wind. They tend to try and avoid it if at all possible as the wind will carry away precious top soil. As well as erosion, the wind can also harm plants, especially when they're first sprouted or drying out in the autumn. It also has a tendency to move around anything that isn't too heavy or strapped down.

     This is a smaller example of what the wind can do. You can probably guess that these wheel lines don't belong in this ditch. The wind can (and often does) move much larger objects as well. Not long ago one of the trees where I live was destroyed by the wind.
     It's just something we have to live with here. Besides, the winds have brought us much of our topsoil (sorry, Oregon) and it brings the rains in. Agriculture (and life in general) is subject to the cycles and movements of nature. Folks complain about them often, but it's important to be thankful for them. They stir the pot, as it were, and without that movement not much would be possible. But maybe I can be positive about it because I kind of like the wind. Either way, it's here to stay. Maybe I'll go fly a kite today.