Island Breezes

Its absence was noticeable, a week in late December without wind. We did not have to bundle up against the biting cold assaulting us at various wind speeds and lowering the ambient temperature. Everywhere we went in preparation for Christmas, people commented, "It's calm today," or "Where's the wind?"

I am an island person of eastern Canada and accustomed to such wind. Born in St. John's, Newfoundland, the third windiest place in the world, I know driving drizzle, rain, sleet, snow which hit you horizontally because of the 'breeze' which impels them. Hats or umbrellas are almost useless. 

Now my family lives in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, one of the windiest places in Canada. Here the wind, ranging from a breeze to a gale, makes holding on to doors difficult or walking in a gale almost impossible. The wind is a regular part of life.

This beautiful island has wide open spaces, fields through the countryside where winds are unobstructed. Here, the blowing snow causes white-outs necessitating school and other closures. But such wind is not always bad.

The natural air conditioning the wind provides in the heat of summer is quite welcome. I wrote about this before in July, 2014.

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Tourist information for tropical islands often mentions island breezes. I smile every time I read about them.