When a strange wind blows ...

I lived in Chicago, I'm used to wind.

Even though Chi-Town took its "Windy City" moniker from eastern legislators who were annoyed by Chicago politicians' boasting in favor of the 1892 World's Fair, there's no end to the gale forces that blow down Michigan Avenue.

Still, I have never felt wind like that blowing across Colorado Springs tonight. At 2:55 p.m., the National Weather Service recorded wind speeds at 47 miles per hour. It's about double that at 9:15. When I took Jack outside, the zephyr hit me across the chest while I was walking. At one point, it actually pushed me backward. My 85 pound dog physically couldn't move; and when I got back into the apartment, I was actually able to see the fan shaking.

In short, it's unbelievable.

What really strikes me as strange about this gale-force wind is something I can't quite figure out. I don't know if it's the mineral content in the Colorado soil or the totally dry snow blowing off of Pikes Peak, but the wind smells metallic - almost like aluminum. It leaves the same taste in the back of your throat, the same sensation you get when you bite your tongue to bleeding. The wind also sounds like a high-pitched cry; a child's wail or a wounded animal.


All of which makes it even nicer that as I write this, I'm snuggled to my husband and pets under a pair of cozy blankets.

As the song says: Baby, it's cold outside.