The Big Blow

Every year, the situation with the leaves and leaf raking is a bit different from the year before.  This season, the ash tree in my yard to the south did not turn yellow as it usually does, but true to previous years, it dropped its leaves all at once.  Last year, the maples in the front of the house dropped their leaves over several weeks, requiring several rakings in order not to overload the curb where the city workers vacuum them up.  This year, there were no leaves coming down from them until <whooooosh!> came the winds and storms of the past few days.  As I raked this afternoon, I noticed that the bulk of them are down without too many on the roof.  Thank you, Mr. Wind!  I might not have to rake forever!

Speaking of the Big Blow, several towns in southern Indiana were hit with an F-3 tornado in the wee hours of Sunday morning when people slept.  Twenty-two folks lost their lives in that one, with many more injured.  Most of the fatalities were from a mobile home park--tornado magnets that they are.  The Salvation Army has six mobile feeding units and two fixed feeding stations on scene.  I spent quite a bit of time last night talking to SATERN radio operators who are giving us a hand down there.  I'm still trying to determine if I should go.  This one will take awhile to clean up...

Last Sunday, one of my ham friends accompanied me to Meg's in Muncie to do some home repairs.  (Thanks, Mike!)  While Meg and I vacated with the children in order to shop for play clothes for Robin, the guys did the work without urchins underfoot.  Meg fed us well, then Mike and I headed back to the Indy area.   I had to chuckle a bit, though.  When "Gwamma" comes to visit, I sleep in the living room on their futon, in my sleeping bag.  (Robin loves my sleeping bag!)  Sunday, the dear child assumed that I would be staying for a "sleepover"...and her little brain was working overtime when she saw that I had Mike with me.  She said, "Gwamma, you can share your sleeping bag with Mike!"  If Mike weren't such a good friend, the moment might have been embarrassing.  As it was, I told her that I had to go home so I could work, and muttered under my breath that I was sure Mike's wife would appreciate Robin's generous offer!

Sunday is little Ryan's second birthday.  It is difficult to imagine that he isn't yet two years old because he is quite amazingly verbal.  On Halloween, when he was in costume, I asked him to tell one of my colleagues what he was.  He said, "I'm a boy!"  Uh...well...yeah.  Stupid Grandma!  Meg had him practice blowing out candles today.  She is such a good mommy.  I would never have thought to do that!

Threat of storms again tonight.  I don't have to worry about my longwire antenna.  It came down in the last storm on Sunday!  <sigh>