Foot and Anne's adventure with Texas Springtime...

[silverthorne]

So in the afternoon and evening, the first line of storm-cells missed us completely, going by about 20 miles to the north, and letting loose with little more than short spats of sprinkles. Once that was over around 10pm, the radar more or less cleared, and everything pretty much looked like it was over. Foot and I retired to bed.

Woke up at 3 or so for a pee break. Wandered back to bed, and Foot and I settled back in.

15 minutes later, while I was dozing (and starting a dream that actually had Jon and Richie in it, darn it!), the rain, hail and wind hit. For a few minutes, it just sounded like a typical bad spat. But then something prompted me to look out the window. Don't know what, maybe a wind-rattle that didn't sound quite right.

It was, I kid you not, white-grey and almost glowing, with a visibility of maybe one foot. I decided I didn;t like it, moved off the bed, and went and sit next to the bathroom door in the dining room nook, which is as close as I have to 'lowest, most internal part of the house with no windows'. Foot, to her credit, followed me off the bed, and then came and sat down next to me when I called and let me pet her while we waited it out. I thought I might have heard the tornado siren once or twice, but eventually dismissed it as over-active imagination.

I learned this afternoon from one of the upstairs neighbors that the sirens really had gone off--the fact that they're less than a block away and I couldn't tell because of the noise of the storm? Yeah.

Anyway, so after the wind and rain and hail died down, Foot and I returned to the bed, and started dozing again.

Just in time for the lightning storm to start up (with more rain).

There were 6 near hits--enough to cause brown outs--and then a seventh, which took out the electricity, at least for us.

And so it stayed until 11am at the hospital where I work four blocks away, and sometime after 12 at the apartment complex. What's weird? The city blocks between me and the hospital? Still had power.

Anyhow, on a related tangent--I have the coolest cat. One, because she didn't panic during the storm, came to me when I called, and stayed with me. How many pets do that?

Also? She woke me up at 5:30--right on time to go to work (and, of course, to feed her).

I love my cat. And I am glad we apparently escaped damage in my area other than a few roof shingles, one or two tree, and, of course, the power.

Comments

[skywardprodigal.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting me know you were fine.

O.O

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I didn't know how much damage had happened (dark when I went into work), and after getting to the hospital, and it being on the generator power with no ETA as to when it was up, I knew something ugly had happened overnight. So I texted nearest and dearest so you all wouldn't worry (there would have been a post, but the computers at work are considered non essential in my department, so I couldn't get unline until the power came back).

*hugs*

:)

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

OK, your close call was closer than our close call this time, because our storm fizzled out, thank God, as it neared the city.
And your cat! Familiar, more like.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I mean, it didn't seem that bad (other than the weird glowy thing going on, which the uneducated could pawn off on feflected lights from other sources), but I just felt being on the bed and anywhere the windows was a way bad idea.

Foot is incredible in some things. This is apparently one of them. :)

[cluegirl.livejournal.com]

Texas in the spring... I wonder if you can get insurance for that...

Anyhow, I'm glad all is reasonably well. And yeah, you DO have the coolest cat! Glad she had the sense to pick you out.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

well...technically, you can, bt they divide it into five or so seperate policies....flood, wind damage, acts of god, etc... :P

I think I'm glad I had the sense to bring her inside that night and not just go 'she'll find her people again, leave her be' (which I almost did).

I really do hope she decides she wants to say hello to you guys when you come visit.