Sudden Summer Storms

How's that for alliteration?

Always the English teacher, I know.  

I made the mistake the other day of mentioning that I really liked summer storms that just pop up out of nowhere, dump some rain, and then move on.  

I always notice, later when I check the radar, that these storms generally move from northwest to southeast, rather than coming in from the southwest like other storms do.

At our other house, I would notice the storms building in the north, over the empty area in the woods that we could see from the backyard, or from the kitchen windows as we looked over the chicken house and to the northwest.

But at this house, most of the northwest view is totally blocked by trees.

This time, however, I was sitting at the dining room table, working on paperwork, ordering a baby gift to be delivered from Target, paying some bills, marking a few events on the calendar, when Tessa came running to the house from the barn and shouting that there were storms coming.

Everything happened so fast after that 

Tessa and Owen in the house, Owen scared.

Landon trying to be the 'big man' and be helpful and not scared, but he was.

Hilary taking off in our pickup to check out things at their house.

Gary mowing at the end of our lane.

Blaine jumping on the four-wheeler to head down the lane to alert Gary.

The radio going off with warnings for Iroquois County in Illinois, then Benton County, then White County, then Tippecanoe and Carroll---heading closer and closer to us very quickly.

Lights flickering, going out, power returning, then going out again.

Grabbing flashlights for the kids and hearing Landon trying to be calm and herd his siblings through the garage to the basement door.

Seeing Blaine flying by to the Party Barn on the 4-wheeler and Gary zooming as fast he could on the mower in the same direction.

Hilary appearing and grabbing flashlights, helping the kids head to the basement.

Listening to the wind and the rain (and later we realized it was hail too) pounding on the outside walls of the dining room above us as the kids explored new territory (I don't think Tessa and Owen had ever been in the basement!)

Finally coming upstairs to find limbs down, little springs of leaves attached to small sticks, small branches all over the yard.

Listening to Blaine's radio going off with dispatch calling in the fire department for help with damage in Rossville. 

Watching the kids dragging  limbs, branches to the creek and tossing them. 

Leaning longer sticks against a tall tree to make a teepee of sorts.

Picking up  smaller sticks that littered the yard.

Seeing the blanket of small leaf clusters everywhere.

Moving the kettle of fresh green beans, potatoes, and sausage to the grill burner to finish cooking for our dinner.

Smelling the freshness in the air and relishing the cooler temperatures.


Sitting in the Party Barn after inhaling bowls of The Best Summer Dinner Ever and shouting for joy when the lights came on!

Driving through the country and seeing what was tall corn stalks, reaching for the sunshine, freshly tassled and putting on ears, lying crumpled and broken in the fields.

Seeing trees on the tops of houses, across drives, along roadsides.

Mother Nature was out in full force yesterday afternoon and evening

It could have been worse.  Fortunately it wasn't for us!

But a statement was made in this sudden summer storm.

God is still in control.  It gave us another focus for an evening besides viruses and racism and what is happening to our country.

And for an evening, no one cared about color or diseases or masks or social distancing.  Everyone pitched in to help.

All because of a sudden summer storm.