The Ol' Man is Snoring

We were not suppose to get any rain this week. 100F+ temps, 90%+ humidity all week, but what did I see about 10pm last night while I was in the Riverside Area of Wichita? A massive electrical storm. My mother and I stood on her porch, staring at it, wondering what it was. It was similar to a strobe light, as often and quickly it was lighting up the sky. It took us a moment, because we weren't expecting anything. "News" I blurted as we ran into the house. The storm was north of Wichita, in the direction of my house, I needed to know what was going on.

The 60 MPH winds were no biggy. You live in Kansas long enough, you get use to that. It was the hail that accompanied that wind that was bothersome. I was lucky, the storm was still outside of Yoder, the Amish town I have mentioned here before. I had time to race home and secure the homestead. We beat the storm home, but as I was getting things anchored down, and put away, the straight line winds hit.

I could hear it coming up behind me and braced myself against my truck. It was a good thing I did, the winds were much faster than 60mph, and sustained. Wonderful! I made my way around the homestead as quickly as I could, making sure all the gates were latched, then made it back up to the house. The porch light was out, and as I crossed the dark deck, I was pegged by a flying flower pot, in the shin. I went down. Twisting my ankle and taking a heavy lawn chair down with me. This freaked the dogs out, inside the house, and my boys along with them. They had no idea what was going on, and have been taught not to go look. I laid on the deck for a moment to catch my breath and listen to the rain that was slowly moving up the road.

That's the one thing about living on the prairie, you can watch as rain moved along its path. No real surprises if you are outside, it doesn't sneak up on you, unless that is, it forms above you.

I got inside and called my mother to let her know I had made it home just as the down pour began. Then the hail hit the house, the wind driving it into my storm windows. Around 1 am I was woken by my oldest son. His puppy, Buttercup, had woke him. Turns out she is afraid of the dark, and the power had gone out. "Lock her in your room and sleep in the living room" I told him as I lit the candle next to my bed. With that done, I laid there for a bit, listening to the rain, then hail, then nothing, then rain again. Lightning illuminating my room, while thunder shook the house. I drifted off to sleep like that.

The power has come back on, and there is very little damage.

No rain this week? HA!

Curious, I know many of you are here because of homesteading, but would it bothered you if I talked a little bit more about life as a biker as well? I know this aspect of my life separates me from many other homesteaders, but it is as big of part of my life as homesteading.