Dust Up

It is everywhere.

On your furniture, over your clothes, and even in the bottom of boxes that you thought were impervious to it. The harmattan has brought with it the dust of what I will guess is the Sahara but for all I know it is just the dirt right outside my door being blown around. I have given up on cleaning anything that collects these fine particles as the very nature of the breezy afternoons only serves to inundate the clean parts with more dust. Even the curtains smell of it and you can barely see through the glass louvers as they are covered in a haze or light brown.

The hangers in my closet have collected it as well. I didn't think there were this many surfaces that I would need to keep clean when I first moved in to the place.

Dare I mention how dusty the computer lab has become. We have embarked on a few repairs with the first being the replacement of the windows. That kicked up a ton of dirt that has now blanketed everything in sight. It does not help that our brand new machines are black and attract particles left and right. I have a few handkerchiefs that need washing, but wiping things down does not keep them clean - it really serves to leave a trail of clean in what otherwise is an ocean of filth. My own plan to deal with it is to let it stay where lands and then wait for the rainy season to come back. After the wet weather tamps down some of the powdery-ness of the air I will go through and get my house and my lab back in order. Mainly with the help of very capable students in the lab.

One very pleasant thing though is the cool weather at night. Today all the students had jackets and sweaters on for the morning meeting in the chapel. I had my short-sleeve button down shirt on and it was great. I could get used to that part of Harmattan.