It has been way too "interesting" here on the ridge top as of late, especially weather related happenings and surprises, but, after experiencing tornados first hand, two inch ice storms, flooding that gets you wanting to build an ark, and wind shear that tries to kill you with flying and falling tree tops, what else could happen, right???

Well, Sunday afternoon ( 3 p.m. to be exact) answered THAT question ! After an a vaguely unsettled feeling all morning that increased in vagueness in early afternoon to a very strong feeling of "Bad Mojo Coming" and better batten down the hatches while I can RIGHT NOW, the storm front rolled in from the west ( there where absolutely no clouds in the sky right up till 20 minutes before it hit) and it hit us with GOLF BALL size hail. No kidding, it was really that big, and I have some in a Zip-lock bag in the deep freeze to show the insurance adjuster when he/she finally gets here!!!

I had just made it to the house after locking up the dogs in the bottom of the bank barn (below grade and very safe), shutting the horses out of the barn ( safer out running loose in a tornado or high winds ( they can get down in the ravine off our ridge top), and was looking frantically for the funnel cloud that I was sure had to be barreling down on me, and wondering if I could find old cat and make it to the cellar in time, and the sky fell, in the form of hail that increased in size as the minutes passed, from marble size, which we have had plenty of times, to quarter size, a rare occurance, to unbelievable golf ball size hail that completely covered the ground.

At this point, I was simply grateful to be in one piece and that the dreaded dark wind had not materialized out of the sky as anticipated, and that all the buildings I could see where still upright and had their roofs in place. The horses where not "happy campers" however, they ran about constantly, trying to escape the "sky that was falling", but avoided going to their run in shed due to the intense noise that hail makes on a metal roof, the noise the greater of their fears over the pain of being hit by hail that large.

After the storm was over (only lasted 15 or 20 minutes, but seemed like forever), we had gotten an inch of rain in that short time, and the yard and fields looked like a chipper-shredder had spewed out all over the place, the air smelled strongly of torn leaf and wood. The next four days were devoted to intense yard clean-up and endless stick and limb picking up and raking the smaller branches into piles for picking up with the wheelbarrow. The old farmhouse survived with just a few holes and dents to the siding, a few screens torn up by the hail, the chimney cap torn off, a dog house roof and the old coal shut roof need replaced due to hail holes, but I am kissing the ground and thanking the Great Earth Mother that we are all alive because many poor folks were killed by this same storm system as it moved across KY, WV and MD, as well as others here in Ohio.

Sure brings to mind that old saying, "That which not destroys you makes you stronger", by now, I am one tough cookie ;-)!!!

BTW, we have been putting up new fence, we have 235 split locust posts drove in, and are ready to string about 2 miles or so of fence, and, the hay fields are just about ready to cut, it never is boring here on the ridge top...........

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2002

Answers

Wow Annie..............what an ordeal!!! I have been wondering about you as we had not heard much from you lately. Sounds like you are busy. Today we are FINALLY having sunshine again and as soon as it warms up.......I am OUTSIDE. take care

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2002

Wow! Glad you are alright! I can't imagine! I did hear about the tragedies in the other states. Awful!!

I guess I won't bitch about it only going to be High 49* (s/b in the 70's anyway) here tomorrow....snow level at 2000'. But I sure am tempted to...it's cold, rainy, and nasty today. No hail for a week (although it covered the ground 2 wks ago...nothing near the size of golf balls, though!!!)

I guess the good news is that since I'm trapped in the house today, I actually got some housecleaning done. (I hate housekeeping!)

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2002