Thursday, May 14, 2009

Spring Storms...let the games begin...

Tis the season when we all in' tornado alley' start to heighten our senses. The sky starts to darken, the middle of the day seems like night, you start to collect the things you will need when you head for the basement...flashlight, water, cellphone, dog leash...DOG...

Really, it's a serious scenario, when they say 'tornado watch'...you watch and listen. Weather radio poised to go off in an instant, which is about all you have when one sneaks up on you. It would seem that our weather patterns are changing...I don't remember the straight-line winds when I was a kid. Hurricane force winds battering home and yard, ripping trees out, flipping cars and boats, whatever is out in your yard at the time is fair game.

This is the view of a wonderful old Victorian that was in the tornado's' path two years ago...this is just up the road from my house. I was working an hour from home when I got the frantic phone call from my daughter, stating that a tornado just went right by her house, my Grandson was home and witnessed. Totally freaked, I drove home through the storm, knowing that if it went by her house, that mine was in it's path...and the 'heathen' was home alone. It's funny though, that day I debated in my mind to take Scratch to work with me, as I knew storms were predicted, but she was acting frantic and really wanted me to take her with...but I said stay...

I had just driven the hour commute to the shop and barely arrived when I got the call from my daughter...now tell me dogs don't sense weather patterns. I never leave Scratch now when storms are predicted...

This is the home today, as construction continues, but it will never be the same. The beautiful gardens and shaded yard devoid of all it's finery, yet ready to start anew in this season of storms, always changing, always rebuilding.