On Sunday afternoon (at around 2:30) the National Weather Service issued a severe weather warning for all of northern Tennessee and southern Kentucky until 8:00 PM. It was the usual warning of severe thunderstorms, lightning, damaging hail, possible tornadoes, and the potential extinction of our species. This warning included our county, but we were on the lower edge of the warning area. Pictures started appearing on Facebook of massive lightning bolts and large hailstones. One fella had in his hand a hailstone and a baseball; the hailstone was the same size as the ball, so his was no exaggerated claim.
Here, on Piney Mountain, our dogs sat out on the porch watching the neighborhood. Unconcerned as could be. The skies were cloudy, but there was no evidence – even to them – of bad weather. At supper time they came in and we began our Sunday evening NASCAR race watching festivities. At 8:15 PM it began thundering. By 9:00 the lightning was flashing, the thunder was rolling back and forth across the sky and the rain began to fall. I’m happy to say all we got out of it was a torrential rain … and thunder and lightning. Lots of thunder and lightning.
Blondie Bear decided I needed consoling so she offered to allow me to scratch her head. She’s such a nurturer!
The storm continued until well after bed time. Buster paid it no mind at all. Cochise was antsy, but managed to restrain himself from hopping up to run through the house bellowing in his big rumbly voice trying to scare the thunder away to just the biggest, window-rattling peals.
The lightning flickered like flashbulbs at a fashion show.
Blondie stayed at my bedside all night. Occasionally she’d sit up to rest her chin on the mattress so I could scratch her head, but she was tired and she’d soon slump back down to the floor. When the storm was over we all fell easily asleep.
I had to be careful in the night not to step on Blondie Bear, who is the same color as our bedroom carpeting, because she stayed next to the bed all night long. Normally she sleeps in her snuggle-bed at the foot of our bed, but when times are tense she sleeps next to me.
As soon as it got light I went out to feed the foster dogs and tour the property to see what damage was done. There was 2″ of rain in the gauge from last night. A few small dead branches blew out of the trees, but the only loss we seem to have suffered was that last night the National Weather Service decided to blast out one of their warnings just as the field of race cars were coming to the checkered flag, so we did not get to see the end of the race. Disappointing, but we will live. One thing I do know: I won’t need to water the garden this morning!
