Lesson in the Wind
La Posa Plan – January 2026
Lesson from the wind.
It was January 18, a Sunday.
I would head to Blythe, about 20 minutes away, to get some groceries.
The forecast called for high winds in the evening. I figured a quick run would leave plenty of time before it got windy. The winds here in Quartzite are mostly from the Northwest, but they can also come from the South or from the East.
I left my tent, a simple pop-up, standing up. I had restrained the feet, lightly staking them to the rocky soil.
I had not tied it down. There had been no need. For the past three weeks, it had been fine. 14 mph winds had only rattled it.
I knew the van worked as a windbreak, so I pulled forward, exposing it to the gentle winds. It did not even sway.
I figured, upon my return, I would restore the windbreak and deal with it. For now, it would be fine.
It was not!
On my return, while still a quarter mile away, I could see that something didn’t look quite right.
As I got closer, I could see that the tent had toppled — three feet raised high in the air. The 4th leg was still resting stoically on the ground. That was an unwelcome sign as it was not a standard configuration.
The winds had picked up sooner than forecast. And my tent had struggled to maintain its integrity.
I pulled up, stopped my car, climbed out, and walked slowly towards the tent.
Two of the scissor members were bent inward. The lone rectangular upright now bowed at a 30-degree angle. The crown of the Popup was inverted — popping down.
I removed the cover, then the lights, whichI had strung carefully around the frame, then the bird feeder, straightened the bent member, then drag it back in place.
For a few days, it sat without its canvas. Then, methodically, I put the cover back, re-inverted the pop-up, tightened the screws that were ripped from the frame, raised it to height, and, this time, tied it down with stakes in the rocky ground.
I was able to save it.
It’s standing again.
The bird feeder is back.
But the lesson remains.
In Quartzite, the wind does not announce itself politely. It comes from the North, the West, the East; it roars and purrs without warning.
It does not care what “had been fine.”
So, I adapted. I bought a new tent, one meant for the wind. One suited for its environment.
Some lessons we read in books.
Others toss us about till we listen.
Lesson Learned.
