It's All Relative

While we were in the Midwest last week, we experienced
some humidity. What is this strange thing called
humidity that I speak of???

Humidity \Hu*mid"i*ty\, n. [Cf. F. humidit['e].]
Moisture; dampness; a moderate degree of wetness,
which is perceptible to the eye or touch; -- used
especially of the atmosphere, or of anything which
has absorbed moisture from the atmosphere, as clothing.

It hovered around 60 percent when we arrived and for a
couple of days was in the 80-90 percent range. Now I
know that that's not exactly the Amazon Rain Forest and
dissing the humidity in the Midwest isn't going to get
me a job in the marketing department of Midwest Living
magazine). But it was darn humid...sticky, wet, sweaty,
nasty, uncomfortable humid!

What was our humidity today in Grand Junction you ask?
Even if you aren't asking, I'm going to tell you anyway.

6%

6%????? Ovens with Thanksgiving turkeys in them are
more humid than 6%. Ok, it's not the driest place in
the world. That would be the Atacama Desert in northern
Chile. No rain there in the past 400 years. But even
McMurdo Station Antarctica where we usually are this time
of year has 37% humidity as I write this. Coldest, Highest,
DRIEST...HA! As I sit outside in the dry heat of
the evening and watch my yard sprinkler go back and forth,
I wonder how much humidity I'm putting into the air. Will
this become another Phoenix, where thousands of swimming
pools and golf courses are blamed for raising the humidity?
Maybe...It might just be 7% here tomorrow...and I love it!