Storm

A major storm blew through our neighborhood yesterday. When it started to rain we closed all our windows, and my lovely wife and I went out on the front porch for fresh air, and to watch what we figured was a passing sunshower. Things moved quickly to a higher level, as we looked up from our books and we were actually able to see the sheets of rain moving towards us along the road across the way. Then lightning hit really close, startling us, followed by thunder booms, and we noticed the leak coming through the porch roof into the entranceway. We put down towels and went inside to check the basement, where we had to set out a few buckets to catch a small amount of water backing up from the street--nothing major, but a little unsettling. Then I heard a big noise, and I saw that a huge tree had fallen over in our neighbor's driveway; it took down the canopy over their door and part of their gutters. it looked monstrous, leaning against their front stairs, their car, and the fence between our properties. The rain was pouring down too hard to do anything about anything. All would have to wait. We were grateful we had power, and glad that it all happened before darkness, which would have been doubly scarey. This morning I made a tour of "the lower forty," and all was well with us. A block away a street was closed because a huge tree had fallen over, taking roots and sidewalk and all with it. I saw our neighbor surveying his damage, and he seemed ready to handle it--a "good Fathers Day gift," he said.