16 May

Rain...rain...where have you been? It finally rained today - after about 35 days of no rain we had about 35 minutes of on and off down pours to cool the area and help get rid of the powder sand that is everywhere. In areas that have no rocks or gravel but lots of vehicle traffic the ground has become like tan talcum powder or powdered snow. If you stomp your foot on a mound of this powdered sand your foot disappears in a puff of tan smoke as your foot searches for solid ground. Periodically when I think no one is watching and I come across a large pile of this fine tan powder I will take a quick glance and stomp my foot in the powder just to see the puff of sand engulf my foot - okay maybe a little childish or maybe it's just the heat getting to me! Anyway, I believe this outdoor shower is probably one of the last that I will see before I leave Iraq. From what I hear Iraqi's would pay lots of Dinar to get some rain come the middle of the summer to help cool off the 130 degree temps - I suspect it does rain in August but at 130 degrees I sure the water is evaporated before it nears the ground. For me I consider this another check in the box "last rain shower" as I get ready to head home. That is about it for today - have a good day.