Hail and High Water

Praise the Lord! We had a storm yesterday! Stan said the rain gauge held over 2 inches but we know there was more than that because part of the time the wind was blowing the rain sideways. It came into the house under the doors on the lake side. (Yes, I realize we no longer actually have lakeside property - it's now lakeview - but if the lake ever comes back, it will still be on that side of the house. Duh!) I was stuffing towels into corners & crevices where the rain was entering thinking (as my in-laws watched) "I'm so glad we recently cleaned this!" and thanking the Lord that we were home to sop it up.

Stan's dad had been saying that they came to FL to see some rain. What we really didn't expect (and what they have fairly often in SA, TX) was the HAIL. Thankfully it was small enough that it didn't cause much damage - just lost a few small branches & some of my little yellow pear tomatoes (yum - but not if they are smushed).

The rain came down so fast that our drainage system couldn't keep up & water almost started to come in under the door at the foyer entrance too. Stan went out in his swimsuit with an umbrella (read "lightening rod") in the thunder (and LIGHTENING) storm to try to unclog the front drain. I did my part to encourage him to stop. With his mama in the house, I had the perfect leverage and I used it. I TOLD ON HIM! She & I laughed together.

I looked out to watch Stan and a furry blur caught my eye. Our little Manx cat, Smokey, was doing a fast zig-zag dash through the rain & hail toward our neighbor's porch - why he didn't stay under the car I don't know. Poor little thing looked so upset, I think he'd have tucked his tail if he had one.

Of course, Rachel was worried about Jessie the squirrel (who currently has the fort as home base) and Ms. Cindy's horses. "They've never SEEN hail!"

I personally think that the SEEING would not be the issue. Can't you just hear all the squirrels? "The sky is falling! There are pieces everywhere! Let's hide it in the dirt!" Or the horses? "Run away!" Molly, being the Jack Russell that she is, wanted to go outside and play in it. (Stan's dog!) "Catch the ball! There's another one! And another! And another! And another!..."

The rain came down so quickly that the water was standing in the yard with the little hail stones floating around like jellyfish. Dad C. gazed out the sliding glass doors at the pooling water and said, "Look! I can see the lake!"

We were glad that the Lord provided a little excitement for our guests.

Stan has enjoyed watching thunderstorms for as long as I've know him. It had to grow on me. We had a covered porch on our last house that provided a wonderful vantage point for watching God's light shows. Especially at night. Stan would share a chair with me, wrapping me in his arms to keep off the wet chill as the fingers of light tickled across the wide Texas sky. And I would be reminded that "the heavens declare the glory of God" and think "how awesome the Creator".

But I still jump when the thunder booms!