Storm!
The town tornado alarm woke us at 4 a.m. We headed into my wife's walk-in closet to wait, while the weather on the news told us all about the weather. The storm moved very swiftly, with 50 to 70 m.p.h winds that
ripped through our suburb. We did not have a tornado, but instead "straight-line" winds. The storm passed on toward east Texas in a matter of minutes.
This morning I surveyed our back yard and thought our fence had miraculously come through again. Then I realized that the little section in the side yard had been blown some twenty five feet away. Sadly, Beatrice discovered this just after I did, and took off for parts she deemed rabbit-licious. I thought I had followed her so that she was cornered,but I did not reckon on a neighbor's fence being down in two places, not one.
A kind neighbor took Bea in and gave us a call. When I walked to pick her up, I realized that the neighbor's nice size Bradford pear tree was tumped over onto the ground. Then I realized that nearly all the pear trees in our pear-ful neighborhood were snapped like toothpicks. For some years, I have come to believe that tract home neighborhoods should use shrub trees and ornamentals rather than "real trees". I've also lamented the Bradford pear fad, because although they are charming trees, they tend to grow like weeds and die in ways that Keith Richards never will. This morning was like all my gloom fantasies of upturned arbor turned true. It all had a kind of "Land of Hope and Glory" fun about it.
Half of my drive to work was past downed trees and blown-off fences,while the second half was through untouched neighborhoods. I snapped pictures with a throwaway camera, as a inched along.
Tonight I went to New Match Training for Big Brothers. I've been matched now for 8 weeks or so. It was interesting to hear the other folks' stories, and how they differed from my own experience. I am outrageously fortunate in my match--and deeply grateful. The facilitator facilitated admirably--and I learned an amount which, like porridge, was not too cold and not too hot but just right.
I loved the Parr library in Plano where they trained us. I must seek out that meeting room for chess purposes someday.
ripped through our suburb. We did not have a tornado, but instead "straight-line" winds. The storm passed on toward east Texas in a matter of minutes.
This morning I surveyed our back yard and thought our fence had miraculously come through again. Then I realized that the little section in the side yard had been blown some twenty five feet away. Sadly, Beatrice discovered this just after I did, and took off for parts she deemed rabbit-licious. I thought I had followed her so that she was cornered,but I did not reckon on a neighbor's fence being down in two places, not one.
A kind neighbor took Bea in and gave us a call. When I walked to pick her up, I realized that the neighbor's nice size Bradford pear tree was tumped over onto the ground. Then I realized that nearly all the pear trees in our pear-ful neighborhood were snapped like toothpicks. For some years, I have come to believe that tract home neighborhoods should use shrub trees and ornamentals rather than "real trees". I've also lamented the Bradford pear fad, because although they are charming trees, they tend to grow like weeds and die in ways that Keith Richards never will. This morning was like all my gloom fantasies of upturned arbor turned true. It all had a kind of "Land of Hope and Glory" fun about it.
Half of my drive to work was past downed trees and blown-off fences,while the second half was through untouched neighborhoods. I snapped pictures with a throwaway camera, as a inched along.
Tonight I went to New Match Training for Big Brothers. I've been matched now for 8 weeks or so. It was interesting to hear the other folks' stories, and how they differed from my own experience. I am outrageously fortunate in my match--and deeply grateful. The facilitator facilitated admirably--and I learned an amount which, like porridge, was not too cold and not too hot but just right.
I loved the Parr library in Plano where they trained us. I must seek out that meeting room for chess purposes someday.