Seriously folks.. the wind is blowing so hard I could hardly hold on to the pole. Patti had to rope herself to a tree down below in the yard just to take this picture. It's true! Would I lie about something like this?
Well.. whenever the wind blows all day like this one can just about count on some kind of storm heading our way. Everyone can feel it even though there is not the slightest visual hint of foul weather ahead. But native Iowans all know from experience that by nightfall all hell can break loose.
By late afternoon the television stations were all running their warning beepers with weather alerts being posted. First a severe storm "watch" was issued.
Then later on as the evening skies began to darken normally, the watch alerts became WARNING alerts as radar did indeed show that a long north/south band of easterly traveling storms had formed out of nothing and were now heading our way.
The sun had gone down now and as darkness prevailed, fast and heavy clouds began to cover over us here on the farm and even the stars could no longer be seen.
Then, still able to make out shapes as we walked around out in the yard, we could see in the west a distant but quiet lightshow on the horizon. The front was still out in Nebraska but definitely moving directly toward us.
I guessed it to be about an hour before it hit us. The light show continued and in another half hour we could begin to hear the distant rumble of thunder.
More weather reports on the telly..
warnings that a tornado had been spotted.
Patti wanted to know what we would do if that tornado hit us. I casually remarked that we would probably die. She didn't think that was too funny, made a face and stuck her tongue out at me.
It's getting closer. My sister calls and said the storm was hitting her house now (about 15 miles away) with reported 70 mile per hour winds. Well that's certainly breezy enough to mess with yer hairdo.
We've closed all the windows now and all the battens were hatcheted down. Computer and tv and stereo unplugged. Phone disconnected. We don't want our electrical equipment to be fried by close lightning strikes. The house lights occasionally flicker from distant hits on the line. I find it all most enlivening. Storms perk me right up into a kind of high alert consciousness which I find invigorating.
Now we can hear the raindrops beginning to pelt the west facing windows. The wind in the cottonwoods outside the house is roaring. More flickering lights as the storm has finally reached us. It's showtime.
Patti and I head for the screened-in porch on the opposite, eastside of the house and sit together on the porch swing.. taking in the whole raining and flashing and thundering show.
Below is a 2+minute podcast of the storm as we sat there on the porch swing being maybe just a little bit silly.. and enjoying the rain and lightning and thunder.
You're welcome to join us.. if you dare!
This media file's URL: Link
Oh.. by the way.. no tornado hit us and we really did survive the night.
