wind-loving, things that benefit from the action of winds. — anemophile, n. — anemophilous, adj.
—just me and the wind.
I don't know what it is that makes me want to go out on a windy day. It’s like the wind sends out an invisible invitation to get out there and feel the wind in my hair. I can’t resist but to spend some time alone—just me and the wind. The crazy thing about wind is the invisible force it has when it’s hitting your face. It has to be one of the most surreal things you can experience if you take the time to think about it. How can something that’s not there, be there?
Sudden gusts of winds can force you off your feet. The sound of it as it steamrolls up the hill towards you is one of the most humbling moments you can experience. The trees bending, the wind playfully running its fingers through your hair, and your clothes pulling on your body in some sort of invisible harmony. So why not drop the phone and experience life in real time on a windy day? Maybe run up a mountain?
We took our 48 starred flag to the top of Hughes Mountain. It was a fun trip—a great hike with wonderful views and not a soul around.
According to the Center for Science Education, the wind is moving air and is caused by differences in air pressure within our atmosphere. Air under high pressure moves toward areas of low pressure. The greater the difference in pressure, the faster the air flows.
In layman's terms, the wind begins with the sun’s radiation, which is absorbed differently on the earth’s surface. The earth's surface is heated differently because of cloud cover, mountains, valleys, and water.
Hughes Mountain has some of the most unique geological features in the state. The 1.5 billion year old Precambrian rock outcrops are among the most ancient exposed rocks in the United States. The rocks were once liquefied by ancient volcanoes associated with the St. Francois Mountains. Some of the molten rock cooled to create multi-sided columns. A rhyolite formation, known locally as the Devil's Honeycomb, is one of Missouri's geologic wonders, and is the highest point on Hughes Mountain. Sunsets are spectacular from Devil's Honeycomb as well, with its panoramic western view of the Washington County countryside.
As a result of this uneven heating, earth surfaces vary a lot in temperature. Air on surfaces with higher temperatures will rise because it is lighter (less dense). As the air rises, it creates low pressure. Air on surfaces with cooler temperatures sinks. The change in pressures up and down is what causes the wind to move horizontally. Tell me that doesn't blow you away.
Not too long ago a good friend of mine asked if I wanted a 48 star American flag—I took it home. I really never gave much thought about our flag’s history outside of Betsy Ross sewing the first American flag and the 50 star flag we fly today. Turns out the 48 star flag saw a lot of American history.
The 48-Star flag was in effect for 47 years from 1912 to 1959. It is the second-longest flag to be in use following the current 50 star flag. It flew through World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The flag came into existence after Arizona and New Mexico joined the Union, making it 48 U.S. States. It’s hard to imagine what the flag meant to all the young men and women who gave their lives to protect our liberty—overseas with nothing to hold onto but the 48 stars. From the soggy trenches in France to raising the flag on Iwo Jima to the frozen waste land of North Korea. It makes you realize the value of our flag and what it means to all the young Americans who suffered in Vietnam, and more recently, the Middle East.
The American flag's stars represent the number of states that were part of the union during the said period while the stripes represented the original 13 colonies that formed the American subcontinent. The first U.S. flag was known as the Betsy Ross Flag created in 1777. It had thirteen stars arranged in a circle. This flag was used during the American Revolutionary War.
Following it was the Stars and Stripes flag. On the 1st of May in 1795, with the original 13 stripes, and 15 stars after the addition of Kentucky and Vermont to the Union, it was the first official flag to be hoisted. It was also known as Old Glory and the Star-Spangled Banner. The 13 original colonies represented by the flag's stripes were Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Many more flags were created and flown between then and now. There have been 27 different American flags since the Betsy Ross flag in 1777. Each new flag created represented the addition of one or more states as the United States grew westward, expanding across North America and fulfilling what our forefathers believed to be our country's manifest destiny.
To Hughes Mountain:
From Potosi, take Highway 21 south 11 miles, then Route M east 5 miles to parking lot on south side of road 200 yards east of Cedar Creek Road (CR 541).
Words & pics t. smugala
Special thanks to our models
AJ Koehler - a 573 writer and producer
Skyler Gollaher - a nursing student
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