Tornadoes!

I was going to be cute and call this post "Doin' the Twist" but after our own scare and watching the news coverage I just couldn't do it.  (and here) I was at a guild charity workshop today and as we packed up to leave at 3pm the winds kicked up and the sky started to look ominous.  It was mostly rain on the way home but some of us came much closer to the tornadoes than we would have liked.  I switched radio stations about a mile from home and found out how close!  I ran into the house in a panic and soon after we were hunkered down in the powder room with the dogs.   They were much calmer than I was and enjoying the attention.  :-)

After the hail died down and the wind stopped whipping the trees we ventured out to see what was going on down by the pond.  From inside I watched the brown silt from the creek spread across the water turning it brown.

When the rain stopped we joined some of the neighbors outside to check out the flooding.  The drain pipe in the center of the pond was submerged and water was running off over the road where it's designed to go.  Just to the left of the mailbox in the picture.

Wow.   The people are standing in front of our house and I'm over by that mailbox.  Let me say again how happy we are to be situated high above the water line!  The house out of sight to the left of the picture is below the level of the pond and that water is running down their driveway.  Their inground pool is also below pond level and we've been told stories about it filling up with pond water and wildlife.

The overflow water runs (intentionally) over the road and along the side of their property down to the creek behind.  It was quite a torrent!

The culverts at the other side of the pond were almost covered.

The trees were dipping in the water.

And the poor goose on her nest under the red tree was almost an island!

This photo is from yesterday.  She was hissing at me!

I also took this one driving by.  Daddy goose, the three ducks and a bunch of turtles all napping together in the sun.   Sweet!  :-)

 About an hour after the storm, the water started to recede and the sun came out.  :-)  It's amazing how green everything is all of a sudden!

The bluebirds emerged and others returned to the feeders.  (click the photo to see him better)

The geese and ducks resumed their activities.   Mama goose got up to stretch her legs after what must have been an awfully tense time for her.

This morning I met up with Kathie at the charity workshop and remembered to take a photo of her pretty blond self this time.  :-)  Kathie drove home from the workshop diagonally across the path of the tornado.  Really scary.  I was lucky to be a mile or so north of the storm.

 We had a nice turnout.  I brought the trusty Juki and enjoyed using it so much I think it's going to go back in the table in place of the Janome 7700.

I quilted this one for Quilts for Kids.

I saw the instructions for the cute butterfly design on someone's weblog but I can't remember who!  They're so cute and I thank whoever that was.

I straight-line quilted this one for Quilts on Wheels.

Whew.  What a day!  My heart goes out to all those who suffered damage and injury this afternoon.  Too close for comfort.  :-(

Maisy just wants us to go to bed.  :-)