From the Pumpkin Patch: July 2010

So yesterday afternoon, a thunderstorm rolled in from the north... this happens relatively frequently, and generally means a lot of rushing around to lift the screen windows, pull down the storm windows behind them, and then close the main windows... while accompanied by the dulcet tones of my two youngest children screaming in terror. No, it's not the thunder that scares them... it's seeing Mommy hurry to shut all the windows while being buffetted by strong winds and rain (which always seem to come out of nowhere), especially on the back porch/sun room. Therese, in particular, is always convinced there is going to be a tornado... shrieking and sobbing words to that effect, while refusing to go into the basement without Mommy. A few weeks ago a particularly strong storm shook the whole house, and I did find her downstairs, sobbing under the computer desk. All my words to comfort her and tell her that it was just a big storm, not a tornado, were of little help.
Once again, yesterday's storm came swiftly upon us, and I had already shut a few windows where I thought the rain might come hardest. The winds picked up quite suddenly and very strongly, so I quickly ran into the sun room to shut the windows... a bit trickier than usual, because the winds were so strong that they were pushing me away from the very windows I was trying to close. Therese began her usual screaming about a tornado coming, and I told her everything was going to be fine... but she could go into the basement if she wanted, while I shut the other windows in the house. "No, Mommy, I'm not going without you!!!!!!"
Just then, a faint noise began that I couldn't quite place... it didn't really sound like the "train" sound people say accompanies a tornado, but there was something eerie about that distant roar... and I didn't like it. Hail began to pummel the house as I ran back onto the porch to grab our huge Rubbermaid container of love letters that we'd had out there (my husband and I spent a little while on Sunday reminiscing over several of these special letters, which number in the hundreds at least, and we still had the box out on the porch.)
"Why are you getting that, Mommy???"
I did some quick thinking before I replied, "Oh, because I think it would be better to keep this in the basement, you know."
"So no one steals it?"
"Right, right."
But then I remembered I hadn't finished shutting the windows in the bedrooms. I set the heavy box down in the kitchen, and ran off to shut the windows in the rest of the house... accompanied by the sounds of a still-screaming toddler, and the jumbled sounds of very heavy wind, thunder, rain, and hail all at once. By the time I'd finished with the windows, though, the storm had begun to lessen in intensity and the kids felt safe enough upstairs anyway. For another hour we watched the thunderstorm slowly roll toward the south... and just as slowly, Therese's fears abated.
Well... unbeknownst to us at the time, there really was a tornado that touched down just about a mile from here. It took out power to the north of us, and blew the roof off the local speedway (about the only thing this little town of 500 people has, commerce-wise), doing at least $100,000 in damage... not counting money lost from having to cancel the upcoming weekly events. Some people had trees blown over into their yards, but minimal house and car damage seemed to be done, and apparently no one was injured - thank God! :) Our baby wading pool was lost into oblivion, but other than that, just a few bushes and leaves were damaged... no big deal at all.
This morning, Therese exclaimed, "So there really WAS a tornado?"
"Yes..."
"Really, truly?"
"Yes, close by... not right on top of us, but we were ok! See, I told you we would be ok."
Thoughtfully, she replied, "Our angels protected us..." and went on her way to play with her older brother.

These are pictures that a few local folks took of the storm and some of their damages.

About a mile to the north of our house

Speedway roof gone

Local hail

Trees were uprooted in various towns around the area

Unfortunately, computer problems and a very slow internet connection have limited my ability to post recently... but I couldn't resist sharing some pictures from the last few days. :) It's actually hot up here in the North Country - surprisingly so, since we were wearing sweaters much of the time until last week! The nights are still cool and comfortable, though, and we are thoroughly enjoying our incredible view of the night sky. :) You haven't seen the Milky Way until you've seen it without any city or street lights to dim it!
Anyway, here are a few pictures of the beautiful fireworks we saw from an old battlefield over Lake Ontario, and a couple of pics of the kids enjoying the warm weather.