Today

Got a late start on the day today. Stayed up late last night to see how bad the storms were going to be during the night whilst I slept. Thought about just staying up and waiting for them, but then decided I would probably fall asleep on the couch if I tried to stay up so I just went to bed. Got woke up this morning around 3:30ish to high winds and lots of lightening and thunder so I got up and turned on channel 5 (I'm partial to David Finfrock and his team) and channel 5 was dead. That kind of scared me so I flipped back and forth between 4 and 8 and we were in the midst of the storm here by then. Before I went to bed, I actually thought about going to my parent's house to ride out the storm, but the thought of my kitties here by themselves during a storm was too much for me to bare, so I stayed. I'm really of the opinion that if a tornado has my name on it, doesn't much matter where I'm at for it to find me. I've seen to much coverage on the destruction of tornadoes and how they will demolish everything in sight except for one house. I think the only protection from tornadoes is a storm shelter and why more people around here don't have those is a mystery to me. Wherever I end up completely settled down, I will be investing in one. Anyway, by 4:30 this morning it was pretty much over and I went back to bed. Didn't wake up again till 9:45 this morning. I threw on some sneakers, put a headband in my hair, and a bra, (the bra didn't go in my hair) and drove to my parent's house to feed their monsters. When I left my house, I noticed something in my front yard that I didn't notice until I was almost around the corner, but when I got home I saw exactly what was in my yard.

All over NRH there is quite a bit of damage from the winds. I saw lots of big tree limbs broken and down. This is my biggest fear aside from my house just blowing down. I have some very old trees around my house. My grandmother, who is 104 for any who don't know, has talked of my grandfather who had somehow changed the pecan tree in my yard. There are two common types of pecan trees that I am aware of. There are the ones that make big fat pecans, like the one in my parent's yard. These pecans become very large, but tend to have a hard shell. Then there is a soft shell variety that make smaller pecans, but the shells are very thin. I think my grandfather had made this tree make big pecans, but with soft shells. At least, that's what I got out of what my grandmother was telling me. It's since gone back to a small soft shell, but the tree itself is still here. I have some very old oak trees as well. One of which I can see as I sit here. This tree once held a tire swing that me and my brothers would play on when we were here visiting which should tell you something of the age of the tree since it was already full grown when I was a child. Anyway... the branches of these trees hover quite nicely over the roof of this house. So any time the wind is up, which is a lot, I worry about a branch coming crashing down on my head since my bedroom sits under these trees. None did... yet again.

So anyway... here's what was in my yard this morning, absent any large tree branches:



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Today, since my car is fixed and inspected, I am taking a road trip to Denton to see my daughter and have dinner with her and see her apartment that I haven't gotten to see yet because I've been car challenged and after dinner we will probably shop a little. I am very excited about this. Should be good fun unless I get lost.

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It's a beautiful 62 degrees, sunny, and I don't have ANY rain pain to speak of. My mom's cortisone shot worked VERY well and she says she feels like running a marathon. Actually, she didn't say that, but she is learning how to walk upright again and without pain. She is very happy with the results. I can totally relate to waking up without pain. Today is a good example.