A Whirlwind

Last night about seven we had a wind that whirled.  The patio umbrella had been lowered earlier in the afternoon.  We always have a heavy rock sitting on its cast iron base as an anchor.  In a flying second that was literally down being tipped over.  A good sized branch snapped off of the sugar maple and landed on the back patio.  I was in the house watching it all through the bathroom window.  Dennis was in the patio porch getting a very close view of it all.

The wind whipped and tore with driving rain.  It may not have lasted long but it did do a fair amount of limb and branch damage.  Once we were down to rain falling, Dennis came in for the night.  He had had enough as did the porch kitties.

I waited until this morning to view the backyard.  Breakfast was the first order of business.  With my yard shoes and cane in hand I went to the farthest branch damage, the east line of the acre.  With using one of the limbs as a hammock, I kept coming west, piling on smaller branches.  Dennis would meet me at the potting shed and begin building a pile.  I made five more trips while Dennis picked up the dead wood that had blown down from on high.  I would not have liked being underneath one of them, as the momentum from on high could have been fatal.  Amazing that they had hid out for so long without us seeing them.

We may very well have continued with yard work, but I received a text that we were getting company.  My cousin Mark lives near Hastings with family ties in Jackson.  Mark and Tammy had been in Jackson for the weekend and would be stopping by on their way home.  Heck yes, I will put off yard work.  

We had a great time catching up.  Mark’s dad and my dad were brothers.  Mark works for an industrial printing company. 

The sun is out this late afternoon with a bit of humidity.

Tomorrow is another day.  The day will bring a lot of cleaning up of branches and leaf tips.  Enough that it will count as good exercise and the walking crutches will be for another day.  I will be slow and steady . . .  no whirlwind of activity from me.  Besides . . . Stauffer Avenue is really mucky after the heavy rain.

I am so very thankful that we have leftovers from Dennis’ oven dish of last night.