I was checking out the local bird listserv, Carolinabirds, and saw a posting that had a link to a web site which displays the current wind direction and speed accross the entire country (it may take a while to load).

At this moment (1:10 PM 5/3/12) the winds in our area are coming from the southwest after sweeping NW across Florida, turning north across Georgia and South Carolina, and finally curving around towards the northeast in North Carolina. That same wind passes right over top of us here in Durham. The wind carries with it hot moist air and probably tons of pollen from the three states that it has crossed to get here.

So, if you were wondering why you felt so uncomfortable outside today, that’s one reason!

But, if you had been in Explore the Wild you may have seen…

or…

…and forgotten about the heat and allergies for a while.