The Storms Blew Through

Hello dear friends! I'm glad you stopped by yesterday to see the flowers, as they do look so different today.

An Evening Occurence:
Major storms blew through last night, very severe. When I got home from work my hubby asked me to go up and check on Mom. She had evidently been bitten by something on Mon. evening. Tues morning my sis-in-law brought her down to see me at the Post Office. After I called the doctor they headed on down for him to take a look at Mom. She was swollen in the arm and hand, had hives over much of her back, eventually swelling in the left foot and even the face. Praise the Lord, she is now on a short stent of steroid to arrest this. THAT is why I needed to head up to see her when I reached home last night. Just as I was pulling out, the winds came up and the trees were bowing severely. As I was backing from the driveway one of our HUGE poplars just snapped off in the middle and came toppling down behind the house. Thank you, Lord, that it didn't hit anything! I prayed as I drove up the road, under all the trees, then turned up into Mom's field which is clear of any trees. Except for the car door being nearly ripped off when I opened it and getting entirely soaked running into the house, no mishaps. The hilltop and deck area looked like it had been raining plastic lawn chairs! It was comical! I said goodbye to my sweet Sis-in-law (without her I don't know how Mom would've gotten to see the doctor yesterday). Mom and I started a new puzzle and waited out that leg of the storm. She was feeling sleepy from the Benadryl and we sat down to catch a little news. The weather had turned calm, so I left her for a time and got home to see that we had no electricity. Syd and I took the dogs back up and we all sat around with Mom until my brother arrived. Her house on the hill is powered by solar, therefore she's never in the dark.

In the middle of the night the lightning storms came, and were severe. Trees were down everywhere and no one had power. When I left for work this morning everyone's generators on the Hill were humming along. We started ours this morning, with only the refrigerator plugged into it. Having gone so many years without electricity, that's all we really care about - well, except COFFEE, which I long ago mastered by simply dripping boiling water through the grounds, a little at a time.

You really didn't need to know all that, I just thought I'd tell you. Anyway -- this was simply to let you know why the flowers and bushes have taken on their "flat stage". Poor hydrangea is laying all over the ground and the lilies have lost many of their beautiful petals. The tomatoes and peas are holding up, being so near the house for protection.

A Midnight Encounter:
I heard the pitter patter of four little feet around midnight, after an especially huge crash of thunder. Taking my flashlight I was met by two beady brown eyes peering over the edge of the bed. I told Sturm that he would have to go cuddle up to Ruger but he bravely climbed back into his own crate instead. Soft brown eyes notwithstanding, no dogs in the bed.

A Morning Blessing:
God gave a huge blessing this morning. No electricity or phones in town were working. Ours simply rings busy and my brother's and church phone's answering machines pick up immediately. My mom's line is run from our pole out front, therefore I assumed that I would have no way of communicating with her today. I am working in a nearby village, so thought I would try her around 9:30 a.m. She ANSWERED! Her phone was working, though no one else's was! What an answer to prayer. She is doing much better. I did get to run up at lunchtime for just a minute and the swelling is down and it looks like she has more energy. Praise the Lord, our electricity is back on too, still no phones.

I am hearing reports this afternoon of trees being cleared and lines restrung. Though we have witnessed very severe thunderstorms and flooding in the past year, I am still so thankful to live in our corner of the States. I pray for those of you who have less protection from mountains and hardwood trees. May God watch over you as storms, flooding and wildfires threaten.

The forecast over the next several days is mid 70 temperatures! That's perfect Summer weather to me!

"Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield." Psalm 115:11


Such a rambling post today. Simply a little news from Darling Hill. Thank you for "stopping up by".