Storms

I don't remember storms like we have today when I was growing up but we did have some interesting weather.  They say when a farmer hears there is a tornado coming, he goes outside to see it rather than hide.  Well the fact is we did go out on the porch and as long as it was not raining where we would get wet, we watched the storm and the tornadoes.  Now we did have a "fraidie hole" which is a storm cellar which we used on occasion when it got really bad.  It was a good thing we did not have much light in the storm cellar as that is where we stored the jars of food for winter and the potatoes which I have written about many times.  Now I know that is confusing but the sentence just got a little long and what I wanted to say is that there were other things in the storm cellar like snakes and mice or spiders.

Dad would always stand at the opening and watch for what was going on outside.  Only one time did I think there was a real danger and that was when dad shut the door like in the Wizard of Oz and the wind was so strong it would hardly close and dad was struggling to keep it closed when it was down.  Also the wind sounded like a freight train which was supposed to mean a tornado was overhead.  We never lost a roof or barn but we had plenty of storms.  Fact is we saw plenty of tornadoes but they were generally on the plains and not down by the creek where we lived.

Ford F150 Supper dented cab

2013 Hail storm April 

My favorite was watching those giant clouds before sun down where the sun shown on the tops and the black bottoms seemed imminently close.  The lightening was snapping all around and the sound was sooooo close.  We use to say that once you saw the lightening strike you could could count seconds and for each second the lightening was 1/10th mile away.  I don't know if that is right but it was fun and kept us watching and counting.  It was absolutely beautiful to watch.

This weekend was one of those storms that we did not know was coming and it was on us before we could put the pickup in hiding.  We got hail and rain like I have not seen before, at least not this big and hard.  Our roof was totaled and my pickup was destroyed.

Every tree was stripped

 The hail was about 3 inches across for the biggest and it did crack the window of my pickup.  Every flower was leveled.  I was amazed at the iris collection that was just destroyed.  But Shouna said it best, "it all belongs to HIM and HE can take it in an instant".  I do believe that it will be for the best as it always comes back better than before.

The trees were stripped of all their new leaves and there were not hardly any large limbs but thousands of small sticks everywhere.  Just Amazing!

This entire experience reminded me of when we burnt off the prairie grass.  It would kill the weeds and allow the new fresh growth to pop out of the black charred ground.  The underbrush in the trees would be gone and again new life would emerge better than before.  I think it is pretty easy to see God has a good plan and it is much better than mine.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• Don't get your underwear in a wad it just makes you uncomfortable
• A little pruning or burning is good for the land and trees and the soul.  It keeps your priorities and thinking right.
• Adversity is what you make of it not what it makes you

Thanks for your time,

gary@thepioneerman.com