Grateful to Make It Through

What is a ‘tornado emergency’?

“Back in 1999, a destructive tornado (eventually rated F5) was bearing down on the Oklahoma City, OK area on May 3rd. Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Norman, OK had a Tornado Warning in effect, but felt that it was not enough. They needed to enhance the wording in the warning somehow to catch the attention of people in the path of this monster. That is when the Tornado Emergency was hatched.”

Nikolas Noonan – Unsplash.com

The whole central part of the U.S. was under weather alerts yesterday and all night. This was the first time I have heard the term, “tornado emergency.” I don’t really want to ever hear it again.

We were only under a tornado WATCH here – and we are most of the spring and summer, so I could just keep a watchful eye and ear. I watched a couple of real time weather websites and found out that others around us were really in imminent danger.

It turned out that a small city in Oklahoma – Barnsdall – not far from Tulsa, where I used to live, was hit really hard. Bartlesville, OK had damage, too. One person was killed. I’m still researching to find out more, but that’s what I’ve learned so far.

I checked on ‘my people,’ and all are okay, thank goodness. I haven’t found any damage here, so far. Apparently lots of people north of here are without power.

We’re supposed to have a good day today with another chance of severe weather tomorrow. I would be really happy if things tame down soon.

I hope you are safe.

Sunny Sunday 4-21-2024

I’m having a small “moan-and-whine” session over our coming weather. I got outside yesterday when the light rain stopped and managed to weed one brick planter. The weather was PERFECT for weeding – cool with a light breeze and cloudy. Today through Tuesday of next week is supposed to be nice, as well, so I’m really happy about that. I need to spend a lot of time in the yard trying to get things weeded and pruned, plus tending our veggie garden.

Wednesday, though, things fall apart big time. Showers and thunderstorms start then and continue through Sunday, May 5th, with only one day showing sunny. ONE!

UGH. Hopefully this rain won’t be non-stop, and I’ll be able to get out there and get things done in-between, but the forecast as a whole is pretty grim.

I’ll try to work around the weather, getting things as under control as possible. I’m going to walk around the yard now and take some pics to share with you.

Happy Sunny Sunday!

Wow

Country Living Magazine

I’m awe-struck. I’ve never seen a solar eclipse before. I set out two chairs in our back yard and got out our glasses. I decided not to try to take pics. I noticed it was getting darker when I looked out the window toward the front yard, so I grabbed the glasses, yelled at my husband, and headed out the back door. It had already started, with a small chunk out of the bottom right side of the sun.

It was amazing to us that even when the sun went completely dark, it was like dusk in our back yard. We could have seen to drive. We didn’t see the corona around the round sun. Our view was such that the crescent kept getting smaller and smaller and then there was just a bit left at the upper left of the circle. Then it was completely gone.

It was dark for several minutes and then a small bit of light showed to the right side of the moon. It’s still getting lighter as I type, but we saw the magnificence of the whole event. My husband is even mowing again right now, being upset that he missed an area on the first mowing.

ALWAYS in the past, when comets are supposed to be giving a showy, showery display, or the planets are in alignment, or something else wonderful is happening, WE get storms or clouds or flying hairballs – SOMETHING that makes it a non-event here.

Today, when we likely won’t be here anymore for the next one, we got to see it. What a sight!

Oops!

kichigin-freepik.com

Well, it got above freezing. We drove the trash down to the place in the driveway where we have the trash can. I got out and started to roll the trash can down. I immediately started slipping badly. My husband drove on down to get the mail, then stopped to get out to help me, when he saw I was having trouble.

I waited, but he didn’t come. I kept creeping down, inches at a time with the trash can. I finally got down to the street and left the trash can. He had fallen and was trying to get into the truck. He made it back inside the truck just as I made my way over. His left foot had gone out from under him and he fell backwards, hitting his shoulder. He almost couldn’t get into the truck. He insisted he could drive, so we drove down to the church, turned around with lots of pain for his left shoulder, then made it back up the driveway and to the house.

I had him take some aspirin and got him settled in his chair with the heating pad wrapped all around it. I got him a drink. He’s watching TV and I just checked on him. He was holding the heat pad close to his shoulder. He says it feels a bit better.

We should have driven all the way down to the road, then he could have gotten the mail while I tried to walk up for the trash can. Shoulda – woulda – coulda. Now we’re supposed to get an ice storm starting tonight-into-tomorrow. We’ll just stay up here until further notice – until we can get wherever we need to go without getting out of the truck on ice, assuming we can get down the driveway in the first place.

Did I tell you I’m ready for spring?

No Lunch Bunch Today

cutigers- @cutigs1 on X

Barn owls are my favorite, and this photo simply takes my breath away.

___________

We had to call our friends and tell them we would not be able to get to Lunch Bunch today. :0( It’s 11 degrees outside right now and the ‘stuff’ on the driveway is solid and quite slippery. We MAY get above freezing Sunday afternoon.

I’m hoping to see if we can gather and drive our trash down to the bottom of the driveway Sunday afternoon before we’re due for either ‘ice and rain’ OR “5-7 inches of snow” Monday, depending on who you’re listening to or reading. Can we have a third choice, please????

We ARE supposed to get a significant warm-up Tuesday. HOOOORAAAAAY! My goal now is to hold everything together until then. We are still fine up on top of our ridge line. Our water pipes have not burst, we have electricity and heat, food, etc.

I woke up to standing water all over the counter around the double sinks in our bathroom upstairs. I called down to my husband. He came up and said something to the effect that, “that’s the setting where it does that” about the faucet we’ve been leaving dripping in his sink during this cold spell. I’m reading this to mean this has happened sometime in the past and he just didn’t say anything. Anyhow, we can’t get anyone up here now. He helped me sop up the water, throw ruined stuff away, and wipe off and put back the salvageable things. Not a great way to start the day…

My husband is enjoying taping and watching some truly awful movies. He enjoys ‘action’ movies, which HE defines in “body counts – the more dead in the most gruesome ways possible, the better.” Needless to say, I’m enjoying computer time, listening to music, reading, playing some in my art room, etc.

I hope that you’re managing to stay sane, dry, warm, and safe during this active winter.

“Every winter has its spring.” ~ H. Tuttle

Thawing a Bit

Montana Roots – @MontanaRoots on X – GEC-YtoakAAMPNl

We’re finally getting a bit of thawing! The schools are still closed, showing our roads are still bad, but we have another good day where we’re above freezing before we have another round of colder tonight and more snow on Monday.

Paul Willson – “Winter Oaks” – @PaulWillson on X

My husband actually drove down the driveway yesterday to get our mail. He said our Blizzaks (snow tires) worked well. I will wait until the driveway looks a bit less like a ski slope and the schools are open before I try it.

Tim Scanlan – “On a Cold and Frosty Morning” – @TScanlanPhoto on X

I pride myself on always showing up – usually a bit early – for appointments. Suffice to say I HATE not being able to get to ones I’ve scheduled because of the weather. I really don’t like to disrupt other people’s schedules because I can’t get down my own driveway – and up again. The fact that the local schools are still closed this time helps a bit.

Paul Willson – “Winters Wonderland” – @PaulWillson on X

I’m ready for spring.

Whine and Cheese

Our snow this morning turned out to be no big deal. Even with the temperature at 26, the breezy winds are causing the snow to break up.

The thing is, the streets are getting colder each day and it’s more likely that the NEXT snow WILL be a problem. Our steep driveway is a problem no matter what. We’ll watch and see how things go this weekend. We may be able to get out tomorrow and get some last-minute goodies that will make our enforced ‘housedom’ more bearable.

We don’t have any appointments until Tuesday, but that’s AFTER we’re supposed to get more snow Sunday and Monday, in particular.

I’m serving ‘whine’ with cheese in case anyone is having a pity party… :0)

Ooooh!

Down East Magazine

We’re having what is considered by many (myself included) to be ‘uncivilized’ weather here in Arkansas today – and until further notice.

It’s 24 degrees F. right now. I don’t know what the low was this morning, and it MAY get above freezing today. In fact, we’re supposed to get snow Sunday and Monday, with lows down to -2 one day next week, and only breaking above freezing for highs starting Wednesday or so.

We’re snowed in right now. I had to call my friends and tell them we weren’t coming to Lunch Bunch. Thankfully, we were all in agreement about the insanity of risking falling on our heads. Hopefully, we can meet NEXT Friday. David, the owner of The Pizza Barn where we meet, opens early just for my friend Kay. I called him to let him know we wouldn’t meet today. He said he was glad we weren’t going to risk it.

We’ll stay home in our cozy home, dripping water nightly in the hope that our pipes don’t freeze, and wait this out. I’m more than ready for spring.

Brrr!

USA Today

Isn’t this child the cutest thing? I melted when I found this picture.

It’s 32 here with snow showers forecast by the locals through 6pm this evening. There is frost on the ground, but the concrete and our driveway are clear at the moment.

We’ll be leaving in a bit to drive to Ft. Smith for our semi-annual dental cleaning. This is already a thing I dread, not even THINKING about the snow showers. Right now I’m TRYING not to freak out that my husband might insist on driving the Vette (rather than the truck with the snow tires.) I’ve stressed that the locals say the next wave of weather is supposed to happen while we are in Ft. Smith, maybe causing a bit of trouble for our way home, and then getting back up our driveway. Fingers crossed he’ll be reasonable.

It’s been a long time since I needed to worry about winter shoes. I have several pairs of boots, but they are mainly decorative, rather than for seriously cold or wet weather. I got a pair out this morning, put them on, and then started making our bed. I found a chunk of black ‘stuff’ on the carpet. Then I noticed my left boot seemed to be ‘sticking’ to the carpet as I moved. It turned out the whole sole of the left boot was crumbling! I’ve never had that happen before. There was nothing to do but throw out the boots and grab a second pair. I’m thankful I HAD a second pair! My husband insisted I also have a pair of Herman Survivors, and they are still in my closet. They weigh a TON, and make my ankles and legs hurt when I wear them. It would need to be so cold outside that no one in their right mind would GO out in order for me to wear them. The ones I have on are mainly ‘hiking’ boots, I guess, but they’re much lighter weight and have rubber soles for the wet. Even if we have to walk up the steep driveway (650+ feet) when we get home, I should be fine. I have a warm coat, hat, and gloves, as well.

I wish I looked HALF as cute in my gear as the child at the top of this post. :0)

“Splattering of Showers…”

Jack Yeargle – Pinterest

Our weather forecast is for showers this morning, “splattering of showers” this afternoon, and heavy thunderstorms this evening. I’m really glad our plumber and his helper don’t have to get under our house or up on the roof for the ‘chimney’ for the tankless water heater installation today.

It’s 50 degrees F., so not cold, but it seemed like a good idea to start a crock pot full of chili for tonight. I just finished doing that. I only forgot we didn’t have water ONCE – pretty good for me, since I usually clean things as I go, putting the rinsed things in the dishwasher…

I’ve paid bills and gotten organized to balance checkbooks and do my spreadsheet bookkeeping later. I’m going to finish up at the computer and then go up to my art room soon.

I hope the weather isn’t messing up your plans for the day.

Thunderstorms and Hair Balls

500px.com

It was raining when we got up this morning. Raining when we went out for errands, and raining a bit ago when we drove our trash down to the bottom of the driveway. The forecast is for “Scattered (80%) showers and thunder – the top threats are pockets of damaging hail and gusty winds.” Sounds like the perfect day to stay inside, safe and warm.

New Week, New Start

Freepik

I’ve decided that my Etsy site needs a total makeover. I’m going to do it a bit at a time, trying to learn as much as I can about WHAT I can do, HOW to do it, and then, once that is done, making new things to add to it. This will be a long term project, but I’m feeling excited just thinking about it. I’m hoping my friends will help me, allowing me to bounce ideas off of them to get their opinions. My good friend Marsha already pointed me to a YouTube video on the subject. I’ll look at that first. :0)

The People’s Therapist

It looks like we have a whole week of good weather here! I KNOW! Hard to believe. I’m not sure if Mother Nature is feeling bad about her extreme behavior lately or if this is a test – where she dangles the good weather in front of us and then snatches it away, like Lucy and Charlie Brown…

This is probably the last of the flowers for us this season. This is a twice-blooming iris, which USUALLY blooms for the second time in October. It reinforces my opinion that Mother Nature is really enjoying messing with us this year. I’ll surely ‘accept’ it any time we get a pretty bloom, though.

UPDATE – It’s been about 45 minutes since I was working on this post. My husband came in, wanting to gather the trash and take it down to the bottom of our driveway. On the way down the driveway we saw 3 MORE purple iris!

TangledTulip on Etsy –

My husband is feeling of two minds about his birthday which we’ll be celebrating Saturday, Nov. 18th. He’ll be 80. On one hand, he has never wanted to do anything “public” concerning a birthday (he once almost decked a nice man who was playing “Happy Birthday” on his accordion right next to his chair in a restaurant). On the other hand, he privately thought he would never live to see 30 – so 80 is quite an achievement, plus he thinks it has a certain amount of cache’ – where being 79 is simply, ‘old.’ I just asked him if I could take him to dinner or celebrate in some way. This was quickly squashed. He finally said he wants me to fix his favorite meal – chicken chunks and soup over rice. I’ll do that, plus see if there is a way to make another favorite – pineapple upside down cake – with as little sugar as possible – that will still taste good. I’ll research that.

Have a wonderful day!

Thursday 11-2-2023

Zeel

In about an hour I leave for my rescheduled massage. My body is telling me, “Yes, please. THANKS.” We had to reschedule because my massage therapist was exposed to Covid and I didn’t want to risk bringing it back to my husband.

I had to change the diamond bit in my dremel for my glassware project. I had trouble, so I asked my husband to help. We thought we had it in, but I found when I tried it, it wasn’t in securely. I brought it back down and we tried everything we could figure out to do, but it just wasn’t happening.

I started to try to look for another one on the net and my husband remembered that he thought he had one in the shop. He DID, so I THINK I’m back in business. I’ll try it this afternoon. :0)

The freezes for 4 days this week have pretty well taken care of the rest of the blooming roses, irises, and elephant ears now. :0( It’s supposed to start warming up tomorrow, so I’ll try to get outside and start the clean-up/clean-out, trying NOT to grind my teeth that Mother Nature decided to take these from us at least a month early.

NBC News

My husband woke me up at 4:30 this morning, talking. After I woke up enough, he was telling me he was answering MY question, which he said was, “Who has the power?” I never did figure out what the answer to that was, or why he thought I had asked him that, but threatened him within an inch of his life if he didn’t quit talking and go back to sleep. It took me a LONG time to finally drop off again.

I wish you an enjoyable day.

Law of the Rain

Jae Margal on Twitter

My husband said he was taking the dog and they were going to get the mail. I reminded him that this was Labor Day, so no mail. I told him I was going to mix up some KillzALL and was going to weed the rocks in the back bed. He decided to go with me – an unusual, but welcome thing.

I mixed up the spray container of KillzALL and brought my knee pad and gloves. I started weeding the rock bed and he started to spray the weed killer around the deck.

The skies opened up and POURED on us with no warning whatsoever. We dashed – as fast as old people can – into the garage and laughed as we dripped. We closed the garage door and came in. I’m still dripping a bit as I type this. We both have a cup of coffee and will probably try to work again after lunch.

Murphy’s Law – Finagle’s Law of Dynamic Negatives – whichever or both – says that particularly when the TWO of us agree to work in the yard, we will get summarily drowned.

Mother Nature has a keen sense of humor.

Sunny Sunday 8-13-2023

Paws

99 degrees this afternoon – excessive heat warning with heat index of 113. I am filing a note of diplomatic protest that this is totally uncivilized.

_________

Gfycat.gif

Happy Birthday to my friend, Kay. We celebrated Friday at Lunch Bunch, but today is her actual birthday. Have a blast, my friend.

__________

Women’s Health

Shout-Out to Cathy, who starts Week 3 of her chemo and radiation tomorrow. Just wanted you to remember how awesome you are, Sweet Lady, and that I’m thinking of you.

_____________

Childrens Museum of Southern Minnesota

I cleaned my art room enough yesterday that I had a place to play. I started again on my ‘wreath’ Christmas cards, using watercolor paper this time and a multi-media approach, with bleeding tissue paper, white web spray, magic markers so far, with more to come.

I also started the glassware etching, putting some stencils on the glassware. The next step is masking tape.

I have no idea whether these will turn out okay, but starting this early gives me time to trash my efforts over and over until I hopefully come up with something the might be good enough to give my friends. I’m having a good time trying.

____________

Painted Container with Lid – Hand-Painted, One of a Kind – Glass – “Stained Glass” – The piece is 7.5″ tall including the lid. The lid has a rigid vinyl piece that allows the lid to fit very snugly into the bottom. The circumference of the container is 13″. – $41.99 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.

HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy

Trip to Town

Unsplash-Monika Batich-Getty Images-iStockphoto

We had a good time at Lunch Bunch. Kay and Bud were there. Bud seemed touched that we remembered his birthday with a card. He said one of his thermometers read 116 yesterday. Our shop thermometer read 110, and the one under the deck roof showed 108. UGH. It’s ‘only’ 97 right now, but we’re under both a ‘Heat Advisory’ AND an “Excessive Heat Warning.” Not sure why we rate both, but it does get your attention.

Dreamstime.com

We’re still having to drive miles out of our way to get to and from town since the bridge between us and Greenwood was taken out completely and is being replaced. We drove past our driveway on the way home so we could go check out the progress.

This stock photo gives you an idea of what is going on, but our road is completely closed off. There is a HUGE hole where the old bridge was taken out and they are working on a 3rd of 3 humongous concrete supports that go all the way across the road from one side to the other. There is a big tractor/digger/crane beside the hole which is dug far down below where the old bridge was. I’m not sure what happens after they get that 3rd support poured. I don’t have a clue how they will go across from one support to the next – in line with the road… I’ll try to take some pics next time we go.

We’re home for the day now and I’ll start my projects for the day as soon as I finish this. Stay cool and hydrated.

Too Hot to Handle

Digital Mom Blog

Actual temperature forecast to be 104 today. I have no idea what the “feels like” temperature will be. All I know is that IT’S TOO HOT! I’m eagerly awaiting the possibility of rain late this weekend or early next week.

We’re leaving for errands in a few minutes. When we get back, we’re in for the day.

I finished my spraying for weeds yesterday. I’ll give it a few days and then see where I need to treat again. My husband is smiling at the turning-brown-and-crunchy grass.

__________

Yesterday I cleaned up and reorganized the dining area. Today I’ll tackle what we call the ‘go-out table,’ a catch-all for many of the things we should have been putting where they belong, but landed there because we were too lazy.

As you can see, the baskets are full-to-overflowing and things are getting ready to topple off the table. Hopefully, I can remedy that today.

I hope you have a calm, quiet day, insulated against weather extremes, with a hug or two to help you through.

Strength Sapped

lolcuteanimals.tumblr.com

Pinterest.gif

I’m feeling good that I finished weeding the rock beds along the front and back of the house yesterday. I also sprayed Killzall (a product recommended to me by my good friend Cathy) to try to keep the weeds from sprouting right up again.

I’m planning to mix up another 2-gallon container and start making my way around the house spraying the areas my husband can’t get to when he mows. I’m stiff and sore from my efforts over the past two days, so this is all I’ll do outside today and then try to get in a session of ‘old-lady-yoga-stretching’ this afternoon.

Our heat index for the next several days is all the way up to 115. (Only 105 today). I shouldn’t gripe – the actual temperatures have been like this, and higher, in Phoenix for a LONG time now.

Pinterest

I looked on my weather website the morning and saw this beautiful symbol! If it is to be believed, we have a good chance of rain starting Sunday!!!!!!! This old lady will be outside dancing in it if it’s true. :0)

I hope that you are having nice weather where you are today. If not, I hope that you can protect yourself from whatever excess you’re enduring from Mother Nature.

Enjoy your day.

Tuesday 7-11-2023

5News

Colorful blobs are on the way, according to 5News. My source on my computer says the rain is supposed to stop around 10:30 this morning. I have the doors open for a nice breeze this morning.

I was, of course, planning to weed this morning. I’ll bet Mother Nature is hiding somewhere, laughing at me trying to ‘plan’ my days.

Reactual

My husband just got up, wanting to put in more LED bulbs in our fluorescent fixtures. We compromised that we’ll do some more this afternoon.

Mini Notebook – Pocket Notebook – “Live, Laugh, Love” – The inside has 100 blank pages for your thoughts, dreams, lists, reminders, memories. $14.99 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.

Contact me at lindawlewis1@gmail.com for more information or go to HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy.

I hope you have a nice Tuesday.

Thursday Thoughts 7-6-23

Giphy

WEATHER

It’s 77 degrees F., dark and rainy here right now. We have the doors open to welcome the cool breezes. We’re not supposed to be threatened by flying hair balls, so we can simply relax and enjoy the rain. AHHHHHH :0)

______________

LOOK WHAT I DID!

Painted Container with Lid – Hand-Painted, One of a Kind – Glass – “Stained Glass” – $41.99 with FREE SHIPPING in the contiguous U.S. – lindawlewis1@gmail.com for more information. HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy.

____________

ART ROOM

Pixabay

I’m starting to dream about the Christmas presents I want to make for my friends this year. I’m thinking of etching some glassware with initials plus some other decorative stencils with some free-form dremel additions in-between. I have no idea, really, how to do this, but I’m having a great time in my dreams… :0)

_________________

Yesterday’s harvest

My main spring garden was a complete bust this year due to the wonky weather. The spinach turned yellow and the lettuce started bolting way too soon. I’ll get that cleared out in time. Meanwhile, the tomatoes are doing well.

I hope you’re enjoying your Thursday.

Heat Index of WHAT?!

Adobe

Summer became official last Wednesday and it’s already pushing the boundaries of the season.

We’re going to try to cook out for the first time for the summer this evening. The heat index today is going to be 108. GREAT. We may end up eating at midnight.

Meanwhile, after we finish our errands this morning, I’m going to TRY to get some things done outside. I need to –

• check for ripe tomatoes
• finish weed whacking
• and continue cleaning out my spring garden

I know I’ll check the tomatoes, but am not sure what else on that list will actually get done. If I DO continue out there, it will be really short sessions followed by longer resting periods and lots and lots of water.

I AM looking forward to cooking out, though, even if it’s really hot. We have a rope of LED lights around the deck cover and they give it a festive air. I can put my feet up, enjoy a drink, play with our animals, and enjoy talking with my husband while the charcoals get ready and then we cook. Tonight we have steaks – a splurge we haven’t done since last year.

I’m having to watch my husband carefully because he doesn’t ‘prepare’ for being outside. I have to TAKE him a hat and sunglasses as he mows, and bring him a cold drink if I can get him to take a break, or when he finishes. He works until he can barely get back in the house. We talk about it rationally, he agrees to try to do better, and then repeats the same behavior. Arrrgh!

He did get the mowing done yesterday, so if he’s out today, it will be puttering, cutting down branches that get in the way of his riding mower.

Be careful wherever you are, making sure that you weather the temperatures as well as possible, and watch for storms popping up that can cause problems.

Home in One Piece

BoredPanda.com

We are home from Lunch Bunch now. We didn’t go anywhere else due to the weather people being right about gusty winds and heavy rain, but thankfully not about the ‘baseball-sized hail.’

tumblr_n9mzwl9Kmx1svxaato1_400-WiffleGif

Only Linda and Patty were at Lunch Bunch. Kay and Bud stayed home due to the threat of the hail, but we had a great time.

Patty told us about her anniversary/vacation celebration in Greece and showed us a couple of stunning pictures. We enjoyed good conversation and lots of laughs, and I hugged both of them.

I reminded them that we are set to celebrate Linda’s birthday NEXT Friday, the 23rd, even though her actual birthday is the 29th. (If we waited until the following Friday, we would MISS her birthday – not acceptable.)

I’m glad we got to Lunch Bunch, but I’m happy that we’re home now, just in case the weather guys will be right about the hail…

New Weather Term?

myRepublica-Nagarik Network

This afternoon we’re due for ‘scattered downpours.’ I don’t remember our weather people using this term before. We’ve had scattered showers, heavy rain, and everything up to flying hairballs, but I don’t remember ‘scattered downpours’ – and we only a 40% chance of them. What would a ‘100% chance of scattered downpours’ look like? I think I must be missing something.

My other weather source says absolutely nothing about rain today. I guess that would be ‘REALLY scattered downpours’ in the new weather jargon?”

I’m going to go outside in just a bit to see if I can finish weeding my raised bed square foot garden boxes before whatever rain we’re supposed to get – gets here. I’ll try to get some pictures for you.

_________

Needpix.com

This is the closest pic I was able to find to give you an idea of the bridge that is on the road between our place and town. Our bridge is on a curve in the road. Yesterday when we went to Lunch Bunch there was a cleared area to one side with a dirt ‘road’ that went from one end of the bridge around to the other end – a kind of ‘bypass.’ There were no ‘road closed’ signs and the bridge was passable. I found on the net where there is some kind of grant that will be used for ‘improvements,’ but no other details as to what will happen or when. A mystery.

I hope that your weekend is free of downpours – either ‘scattered’ or ‘un’ and that you find something really fun to do. :0)

Tuesday 4-25-2023

April 19, 1968 a tornado ripped through the town of Greenwood, Arkansas and pretty much leveled it, killing 13 people and injuring at least 200 others.

My husband and I moved here in 1987, but there is a definite “before the tornado” and “after the tornado” feeling here. There was a piece on the local news about the 55 year anniversary of that tornado yesterday.

It was an F4 tornado and came up in the middle of the afternoon when school was letting out. In 4 minutes, the town was leveled.

“GREENWOOD, Ark. — On April 19, 1968, one of the deadliest tornadoes to strike Arkansas tore through Greenwood, killing 13 people and injuring more than 200. The tornado was rated an F4. Around 3:15 p.m., the tornado touched down in the southern section of Greenwood for four minutes.”

The town was rebuilt and was totally intact when we moved here in 1987. The people here are resilient, hard-working, with a lot of heart. The square in the center of town was pretty much wiped off the map, but once again has a charm that drew me the minute I saw it. It reminds me of Nevada, Missouri, where my mom’s parents lived. I visited in the summers and could walk to the square and ‘shop,’ just like a real person, rather than having to wait on someone to take me somewhere. I could walk to the library, buy a cherry coke from the counter in the local drug store, window shop, and more. I have wonderful memories of that time.

KFSM

Oh, Happy Day!

We were due for severe weather with large hail yesterday afternoon through the evening. I debated how best to try to protect my young plants and decided clothes-pinning sheets above and around the plants was best, though if we did, indeed, get baseball-sized hail as one of the forecasts said, nothing would save them.

I found some plastic deep trays in the shop and put them on top of each of the sprinklers in the planter boxes here. Then I spread the sheet and clothes-pinned them around the legs of the box supports.

The plants came through fine. My husband estimated that the hail we received was about 1/2 inch – 5/8 inch. It was making so much noise during the worst of it that we couldn’t hear each other talk. We were standing together with the back door open, looking out through the screened porch. It was pretty impressive.

Above is one of the best head lettuce plants we have. Isn’t it pretty?

And this is one of the best spinach plants. I need to get out and trim off some broken or dead plant parts, plus do a bit of weeding, but I’m SO happy that they came through what could have been devastation just fine.

The tomato plants made it through, too. I wrapped the sheets around the supports and clothes-pinned the sheets as tightly as possible. This is the smaller, square planter. There are four tomato plants here. They should perk up a bit more now that the sheet is off and they can be in the sunshine.

This is the second tomato planter. There are six plants here. I clothes-pinned one king-sized sheet over the whole support system here and then tightened the edges around the bottom as much as I could.

Here’s a close up of one of the tomato plants. I can’t wait until we have ripe tomatoes to cut up for lunches and dinners!

It’ll take quite a bit of the day to get the 6 sheets washed, dried, and stored in the bag in the shop waiting for next time.

Oh, GREAT!

Health Shots

We have a cold front coming through this afternoon, with accompanying strong wind gusts and large hail.

The colorful blogs on the far left are zeroing in on us, the threat lasting from about 2pm to 8pm tonight.

I’m really delighted because I JUST finished putting in an entire flat of head lettuce, another flat of spinach, and 10 beautiful tomato plants. Even regular hail is deadly to new plants, and LARGE hail will be hard to deal with.

My plan is to cover my two planters of tomato plants with sheets. I have support things around the tomato plants, so hopefully those plus the sheets will keep the hail from battering them.

In the square foot garden, I have four of six boxes full of plants. I’m planning to find something to put on top of the sprinkler at the center of each of the boxes and then to put tarps over each box, held down by bungee cords. Not sure of the details of all this.

I’ll go out after lunch and see what I can do. One of the things I read talked about ‘baseball-sized hail.’ If THAT happens, NOTHING will help. I hope whoever said that is wrong, wrong, WRONG!

Fingers crossed.

123RF

Sharing Some Spring

Heavy thunderstorms are on the way, but who can be down looking at blooms like these?

Hooray for March!

Unknown

My spirits have lifted. I don’t care that it’s rainy and cold, knowing that spring isn’t too far off. I’m hoping that we’ve broken the back of winter, but I know that Mother Nature can change her mind and sprinkle (or slam) us with more of the white stuff this month. I’m trying to keep positive thoughts about all of it, seeing lots of blooms around the yard – more each day.

This morning, for example, I noticed that several of our redbud trees are blooming.

A quick walk around the yard – it IS still raining a bit – shows lots of color. Here’s a forsythia.

The tulip tree didn’t lose all of its blooms.

And daffodils are showing their happy faces all around the yard.

My heart is full as I see all these sweet things blooming their little hearts out. I hope that you are seeing signs of promise and hope, too.

Enjoy your Friday.

Wow

Backpackers.com

We seem to have come through the severe weather last night without damage – at least that we have found yet. It was scary for a while, though, with our weather alert going off with a tornado WARNING covering Ft. Smith, but not including Greenwood. We had lots of really gusty winds to the point we were talking about possibly losing some of the siding off the house or losing our deck cover, not to mention more trees and branches down.

103.3 WKFR-Getty Images

It’s sunny and 55 degrees -thankfully, quiet and pretty now. Later we’ll gather our trash and take it down. I don’t know if the trash can will still be there. My husband tethered it to the pole, but he scoffs at what he calls my ‘obsession’ with tying it tightly. Since I have trouble not slipping and sliding over the gravel, he has taken over the dragging it up and down and tethering it to the pole. The trip down the driveway will also tell us if we had any other damage overnight. Fingers crossed.

Gusty winds like that make me wonder what the animals do to protect themselves. We heard a couple of driveway alarms that my husband said were probably deer walking around. The wind was gusting to such an extent I would think they would have trouble not being blown off their feet.

We are still under a ‘wind advisory’ for another hour or so this morning, but I think the worst is past now.

I hope you are somewhere safe.

Flirting with Spring?

Spring is at least a month away, but this is part of what I found when I was walking around in the yard yesterday! The sight made my heart soar. I really needed it.

You can’t feel down when you see things like this.

There were signs all around the yard that good things are still happening, and are yet to happen.

Spring is around the corner!

Sanity

Minions

Day 3 in my husband’s fight to get the shop computer up and running again. He’s trying to get the operating system updates onto the computer. This takes a long time and THEN announces the failure of the attempt. More than frustrating. We’re compromising now, with some time for me on my computer first thing, then my computer and the TV are unusable until late after dinner. Since I’m totally spoiled, I’m having withdrawal symptoms.

I’m reading, doing some cleaning, some cooking, and I spent time in my art room yesterday for the first time in a long time. I’ve started work on an idea up there with some cleaning up and putting away in there, too.

It FINALLY stopped raining! The sun is out today – a hugely welcome sight. I’m planning to take at least one walk in the yard today. We’re supposed to get more rain/wintry mix tomorrow, but we’ll deal with that THEN. It might mess up Lunch Bunch. :0(