Severe Summer Storms!

  It was hot.  Stifling hot.  Not a breath of wind hot.  I usually do not complain about the weather no matter if it is icy cold, pouring rain or just plain old hot but I did today.  I did not complain to anybody else but I did spend a good bit of time muttering about how sweaty I was and how I wished it would come up a good thunderstorm.  It did.  Well, sort of a thunderstorm anyway. 

  Late evening saw me heading to the pier in hopes of cooling off a bit. Perhaps a bit of a breeze was stirring down there that was not reaching the house.  On the way down, I marveled that there was only one small. poofy white cloud in the whole sky.  I figured we were in for a hot, dry summer because the storms lately have been moving north of us.  I sat for a few moments before deciding that the wind was not going to cooperate. It was when I turned to go back to the Little Bayou House that I saw the entity that had taken over the north sky.  Wow!
  
  Black clouds were swirling in a large circle and drawing closer and closer with each passing second.  Before I could even get to the shoreline, the storm was overhead and the winds were threatening me with pushes and shoves.  It was all I could do to race toward the house. For a few moments, reaching it seemed doubtful. This was one fast moving system!

  As soon as the screened door slammed behind me, all of the windows in the house started rattling.  Papers, curtains and even pamphlets were being tossed about like an mischievous imp was ransacking the place.  A vase of gardenias toppled over and spilled water on the rug and framed photographs fell to the floor.  This storm was strong even inside the house!  I raced around slamming down windows, latching the casement windows and closing doors.  This thing was wild!

  Outside, the winds wreaked havoc on the garden.  Tomato plants were ripped from their cages and potted plants toppled.  Limbs started cracking from the straightline winds.  From the window, I could see birds being slung about like ragdolls.  

  This storm came out of the blue to smack us.  We had no warning that anything this powerful was going to hit us.  Still, even with all of the potentially dangerous winds, something good came from the storm.  The temperatures started to drop.  Our suffocating heat was being relieved even if it was just for the evening.  And the rains came.  Soft and sweet to start but with promises of more to come. But the rains came.  I am thankful.  And I am thankful for the strength of the Little Bayou House and the shelter it provides.