Wildly Wayward Weather

If Nature is tired of being taken for granted and is trying to be noticed, she has succeeded. This morning, the temperature hovers around 38; lightning cuts across the dark sky; thunder roars and threatens, and yet more rain sluices from the heavens. How much rain? I don’t know. One report yesterday said that 7.32 inches had fallen but more has come down since then. My backyard would be a great place for ducks, fish, and turtles. This weather is wild! One thing it is not is boring.

My hometown of Tahlequah is getting more rain than we are. Some reports yesterday said they had eleven inches; some said thirteen. The picturesque town branch has turned into a roaring, seething, surging monster and the Illinois River is way out of its banks.

We can be thankful we’ve had no tornadoes as has Dallas. My heart aches for those whose loved ones died in the tornadoes or whose homes were demolished.

Streets and highways are washed out or rain-covered. And if you are driving before sunrise or after sunset, you can’t see what’s ahead on the black asphalt. Remember to “strive to drive to arrive alive”. And, if water is across your usual route, don’t risk driving through. “Turn around; don’t drown.” Safety is much more important than punctuality or schedules.

My neighbor Peg who lives right next door and I are discussing building a large boat. I doubt that either of us knows how to use oars but I guess we could learn. It would have to be a big one for our families and animals and, of course, we’d need a roof because who knows how long it’s going to rain. Oh, and we’d need to have plenty of room for a whole passel of cozy mysteries. But, maybe a boat won’t be needed. Surely, somewhere up there, above all the wayward weather, there’s the sun. We’ve got to hang onto that thought! And, as long as it’s raining and we don’t have a boat, we might as well grab a book and a cup of coffee and curl up in a favorite chair. That’s the best way to deal with wildly wicked weather.