I'll See Your Pandemic and Raise You a Dust Storm

When we flipped our calendars from December to January, we had no idea what 2020 would bring. From a deadly pandemic, a massive recession, a number of high profile deaths, and widespread political and social unrest and protests to murder hornets, meth alligators, and a host of natural disasters like earthquakes, volcano eruptions, wildfires, and tornadoes...2020 has held one unpleasant surprise after another.

And then came the Saharan dust storms.

Every day my phone informs me that the air quality is unsafe for certain populations. The sky looks hazy, the air feels thick, and everyone's eyes itch. But the sunsets? WOW. At least one pleasant - spectacular, even - surprise has come out of 2020.

Here's to the rest of 2020. I can only hope that the second half of the treacherous year has more of these beautiful surprises in store for us.