Thursday, May 13, 2010

Batten down the hatches...

This morning I awakened at 5:15 to the sound of the heavens opening up onto the roof and a crack of lightning setting off my car alarm.

With nothing but sand between this little cottage and the fifth largest lake in the world, and a 120-year old cottonwood next door, I don't sleep through storms like this one. Typically, I lie in bed wondering if I'd be able to hear the groaning of breaking branches over the thunder, and if the tree would make a direct hit on the bedroom or just graze it. And then the non-freaked-out part of me reasons that that tree has seen many, many storms in its lifetime, and this is just one more.

Then I get up and make coffee in the kitchen on the other side of the house. Just in case.

A calm in the storm, 7am

Miraculously, the tree still stands, but Mother Nature's not done yet. Looks like She has a lot more in store for all of the Midwest today -- hope everybody stays safe and dry!

3 comments:

Kigwit said...

That's a beautiful picture-but I'd move to the other side of the house too!

Andrea said...

those colours would be amazing in a quilt.

Cheryl Arkison said...

I love seeing this photo and the one below it side by side!

And funny, I sleep through storms (but my dog doesn't).