Random Baghdad Thoughts

110 degrees Fahrenheit is hot.  No matter how you look at it, 110 is hot.  I know it's going to get 10 - 15 degrees hotter in the coming weeks, but it is now officially hot.I went into work today, a day off, and wound up walking around a bit.  Camp Prosperity is empty, well, it's getting there.  We've noticed the convoys of semis leaving Prosperity several times a week for the past couple of months.  A lot fewer people eat in the DFAC now.  Today I went to the PX, not only have they closed all the Iraqi-run shops, they're starting to tear them down.  Hardly anyone was walking around.  Same as when I drove through the camp.  The military is leaving Iraq.  Many have already left.  It just reinforces the fact that the PRT is ending operations in three weeks.

The weather here can be pretty intense.  We've gone through a week of dust as the daily weather report.  Not fun stuff to breathe in, especially when it's hot (see above).  One of my first days back we had the worst sand storm Baghdad has had in years.  It was night, so we couldn't see anything, but outside you couldn't open your eyes long enough to see anything anyway.  Then there were the spring showers just before I left on R&R.  Rolling thunder as it came in, it took us a bit to realize that it was thunder, not explosions.  Then, a horrid torrential downpour that lasted for 45 minutes.  Ten minutes after it stopped raining, the sun came out.  Ten minutes later, everything was dry except for the huge puddles.

It's good to have friends.  Had lunch with David and Leon today.  As always, a pleasure.