May You Live in Interesting Times

This evening, before I had a chance to think about what was for supper, a storm rolled in. I ran around the house mostly-closing windows, keeping the air flow but making sure the water wasn't coming in. The phone went out, then the power, but neither is that unusual around here in a storm.

The wind kicked up a little more, and I closed the patio doors and sent Kiddo upstairs to close the windows all the way.

It was while I was standing in the kitchen reaching for the window when I realized that the rain was horizontal. I looked toward the dining room and saw the pine tree at a 45 degree angle and started yelling for Kiddo to go to the basement NOW!!!

We stood around in the dark talking about what was happening and listening to the wild whistling outside. Yes, it was whistling. Nearly shrieking. Weird. did NOT sound like any tornado I've ever heard in Indiana (and I've seen and heard them). This was definitely a straight-line wind thing.

In a few moments it was over. It got quiet. The rain stopped.

I wandered outside. Plants and lawn chairs all over the driveway, garden straw scattered around, didn't look that bad. At first. Then I started walking around...



A huge chunk of the ancient mulberry in the front yard - gone.


It was blocking part of the road.

But the church next door lost more trees, even one that closed the road entirely.
My neighbor with a chain saw came and took care of some of the tree for me, and the local police and fire were here rather quickly - within 15 minutes. The gawkers were here first, though. The were driving through the mess before I was even out of the house! How do they DO that??? How do they KNOW?

The storm brought out all the neighbors, and we laughing and comparing stories and introducing ourselves to anyone we didn't know. We decided this was not the best way to have a block party!

In the middle of all this, Kiddo came running over to me, hollering, "Mom! Come quick! You have to see this!! It's important!!!!"

This boat, all 1400 pounds of fiberglass of it, cartwheeled across the yard and landed up against the fence.
"Smile, Mom!"