Ashed

A webcam in Homer records this morning's ashfall...


I don't know why they call it ash.

It isn't ash-y at all. More like fine grit or talc.

It's not even ash, really. It isn't the residue of a fire but rather the result of an explosion. It is rock dust--a fine, gray powder like the glacial silt that blows down the river beds in the dry months, irritating the nose or blocking the sinuses.

But glacial silt is rock dust that has been worn smooth by ice and water. Volcanic dust is brand-new--freshly shattered and sharp-edged. It doesn't just irritate the sinuses--it assaults them.

Denny and I have both been fighting the volcano sniffles since the last ash fall hit us. Running nose, sneezing and headache--not fun! Aspirin helps with the misery.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Redoubt Gives Wake-up Call to Southern Peninsula