The Wind: Friend and Foe

 

Photo by Steve Apps

The wind has always intrigued me.  As a boy I wondered where the wind came from and where it was going?  I wondered what caused the wind to blow and why it came from different directions?  Why it sometimes was a gentle breeze and other times it was a tornado or a hurricane destroying everything in its path?  I asked Pa these questions.  He said he didn’t know the answer, said he didn’t think anybody knew.

Why couldn’t I see the wind?  I could see the rain.  I could see the sun.  I could see water in a lake or stream.  I could see snow.  I knew the wind was there because I could feel it and I  could observe what it could do, without ever seeing it.

            In grade school, I studied the beautiful Dutch windmills and wondered how the Dutch had harnessed the wind providing power to operate their mills.  I  studied sailing ships. Christopher Columbus had three of them that crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1492  and discovered a new land.  How did a sailing ship operate?  How could a sailing ship journey in one direction when the wind might be coming from a different direction?

            As a farm boy, most of my interest in wind concerned its effect on farming and farm operations.  Pa couldn't answer many of my questions, but he knew a lot about the wind and how it both helped and hindered him.  The wind and a farmer are partners, along with the rain, the sun, and the land.  This much I do know.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  The wind, both friend and foe.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

To purchase Jerry’s books, go to your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s hometown, Westby and visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books, including my new ones, or order a book by calling them at 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.