We were supposed to leave for Santa Barbara, California this afternoon but a severe wind warning and the threat of dust storms from Phoenix to Palm Springs, California put a damper on our travels. By 4:30 p.m. the winds were whipping the eucalyptus trees outside our door into a frenzy. Soon the skies were choked with dirt kicked up by the 50 mph gusts. Not until nearly 10:00 p.m. did the winds begin to settle, far too late to start the 500-mile drive to Santa Barbara.