Too Windy for Kites

As we were being sand blasted at the park, failing at swinging because of the headwind, I kept trying to think of some way to convey the winds of Weatherford, OK.
I've lived other windy places in my life.  I like wind.  The lack of wind felt eerie in West Virginia, whenever I happened to notice it.  But, it turns out, I like wind in moderation.  There were windy days in Boulder and in Lawrence and in each place I remember a particular day when it felt like one was leaning into a New Yorker cartoon every time one wandered outside.  Walking at a cartoonish angle was memorable in Colorado and Kansas.  Here, well, here it has happened three times in the last month.
Anyway, as I was trying to think of how to convey the wind-- most friends think that I am using sandblasted figuratively-- the kites came in.
There were none and then about 7 p.m. there were thirty Mississippi Kites struggling mightily to stay over the park (rather than going with the flow and summering in, say, Hays, Kansas).  Several of them hit the wrong angle and were blown sideways into flapping masses rather than regal glides.  They make an disturbing whistle and all of the other birds seemed to perk up with indignation.
The kites are the harbinger of finals here.  They arrive in mass one day in late April (yesterday, Saturday, April 26 this year, apparently) and they leave the second week of September.  According to the record on this blog, this is one day later than 2012 and four days earlier than 2013.
The kites have come.  Happy end of the school year.  I just hope that don't get blown away.