Like Kansas Said

The title is referencing the song "Dust In The Wind". Because for whatever strange fucking reason, we got hit by a big ass dust storm yesterday. I can only assume--based on reports from friendly communities--that the drought we've been in is worse in the southwest.

It wasn't so bad here that we couldn't see, and it was definitely dust and not heavier particulate matter, but most of us stayed inside. Guards wore protection over their faces, covering the eyes and mouths and using makeshift filters to keep that crap out of their lungs. We were pelted with dust from the southwest off and on for about two hours before one monster of a thunderstorm came in behind it and drenched us.

Luckily we've been hoping for rain and everyone had their gear ready to capture as much water as possible, because New Haven needed it.

Somewhere not too far from here there's a stretch of old farm or something that is so dry it's sending us love letters in the form of desert weather. That's...weird. I mean, I know that during the dust bowl way back in the day, the arid conditions sent up similar clouds if on a much larger scale. It's just strange to be living in a future no one expected, getting reminders of a past none of us remember directly.

Speaking of unexpected things: the dust storm has had a strange effect on the local zombies. All the assault teams came in early yesterday when the wind and dust made it too dangerous for them to continue working. This morning, what do we find outside? Dozens upon dozens of blind zombies. The lucky ones simply have debris caked on their eyes so thick that they can barely see. Others must have suffered a good deal of erosion damage the old peepers. They've just got these half-deflated ruins where eyeballs should be.

Easy pickings, let me tell you. Zombies may rely on their sense of smell for a lot of things, but the organism in them still needs to see. This is a pretty useful bit of info to have. I wish I had the time to test the effects of different things on zombie vision. I feel stupid for not doing it months ago when I had the chance.

I'd love to go on, but all the zombie bodies out there won't burn themselves. I got volunteered by Will because I was smart enough to mention that my mornings have been relatively free. I'm brilliant.