Cold in the Desert

Transportaion of people and equipment is a huge task, and although the Army has a good handle on it, invariably there are delays, down time and lack of sleep. One thing any service member may know is the chaffng and mild swelling of hands that comes from lifting rucksacks and dufflebags and equipment. I guess my civillian hands were too soft, and now they are somewhat cracked and coarse from lugging around bags and gear. Reaching deep down into a duffle bags also scrapes the hands against the abrasive surface of the material. It is a feeling I had forgotten.



I am in the middle east. It is cold, and the sky is a dull slate grey. It completely blends with the desert, so it seems that there is no horizon, and land and sky are one.. The desert stretches out as far as you can see. If you have looked at the ocean and seen it disappear into the horizon, it is the same with the land desert. Just flat and scrub. The morning yesterday had a terrible clinging and penetrating fog from which there was no relief and the wind blows constantly.

Moving on from this location soon.

Didn't expect this amount of cold. It is a cold penetrating fog in the morning and evening. The yellow glow of overhead lights makes the compound look surreal.