So Long, It's Been Good To Know You...

No, I'm not quitting just yet. It's the title to a song penned and sung by the greatest artist and one of the greatest individuals the state of Oklahoma ever produced.

And it may be an apocryphal story, but legend has it that Woody Guthrie penned the opening lines to "So Long It's Been Good To Know You" while hunkered down in Pampa, Texas, on April 14, 1935, riding out what would forever be known as "Black Sunday."

Seventy five years ago today a whole lot of people in my part of the world were convinced that world was coming to an end. It didn't, but that massive April 14th, 1935 storm was the one that coined the term "Dust Bowl."

The writing I do for Field & Stream is vastly different (not by choice, but editorial decree...) than the random stuff I do on this purely personal blog, so I don't often link between the two. But I kind of liked my blog post on Black Sunday, so what the hell.

Also, here's  an excellent synopsis of the event on the National Weather Service Norman, Oklahoma webpage, as well as a really cool weather graphic of the event.

And since I'm in a Woody Guthrie frame of mind today, here's a link to a 1929 recording of Guthrie singing "So Long..."

And, for no reason whatsoever other than I like it, here's a link to one of my two favorite Woody Guthrie tributes, "Way Over Yonder In the Minor Key" from Mermaid Avenue, the simply awesome 1998 collaboration between Wilco and Billy Bragg

And for no other reason that I like it, too, here's a link to a song (sung by Ellis Paul) from my other favorite Woody Guthrie tribute, Jimmy Lafave's equally simply awesome two-disc Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway Guthrie tribute tour. If it's possible to wear out a CD, I think I have this one...

In related news, the Oklahoma Mesonet site recorded a 44 mph peak gust in my county yesterday and a 54 mph wind gust in Boise City in Cimarron County. No black clouds rollling across the horizon. Yet...