Hail

This past weekend has been filled with thundershowers, wildly swinging temperatures and some of the biggest hail I’ve ever seen.  From the normal pea size hail that is often seen to gargantuan hunks of ice the size of a frozen tennis ball. Most were about the size of a golf ball and rather damaging.

We happened to be on our way home when the hail began and as the pinging sound of hail grew into bangs it became a little nerve wracking.  We made it home safely albeit a little slower than usual and the hail and rain stopped shortly after.

We went outside afterward to take a look at the hailstones and we knew there would be some big ones but there were some HUGE ones.  Quite literally the size of my palm.  It was too dark out to see what if any damage the house or truck had received and so we waited until morning.

Come morning we looked around the yard, the gazebos canvas top made it although it clearly came close to giving way and needed to be straightened out. The deck and yard was littered in leaves and branches, many flowers have broken stems or are outright flattened but more damage was yet to be seen.

The truck does have numerous dents which will need to be fixed.  Thankfully the car was safely tucked away in the garage and it’s not both vehicles now in need of a repair.  I also realize after seeing the size of hail in our yard that were lucky no glass was cracked on top of the dents.

Our roof also did not fair very well against the hail and numerous shingles have some obvious damage, not sure if it will be enough to claim but a new roof is likely in our near future.  Now the eaves they’re going to need replacing without a shadow of a doubt.  The hail managed to break a few holes right through them.  I know they’re plastic but still that must have been some hailstone.

In the end it was just another storm but this one will take a while to clean up from, if it ever actually stops raining for more than 10 minutes at a time.  

Summer Storm

I forgot how much I love a good storm.  It’s been an unusually dry summer so far and besides a few sprinkles there hasn’t been one all summer.  I’m certainly not complaining as it’s been fabulous, and the mosquitoes haven’t been around much.  They started coming out for a short while but quickly disappeared again in the endless heat. 

It was not that big of a storm compared to the window shaking wind whipping all night kind of storm seen in past years but it was enjoyed all the same.  In the late evening the sky suddenly went dark and big black clouds started rolling in. 

My husband and I went outside as the darkness moved in from the west and the wind started to pick up. We both started going around the yard lowering hanging plants, picking up the cushions from the patio furniture and throwing light weight things into the garage.

Then we stood arm in arm and just watched. The fresh somewhat sweet smell of damp air carried on the wind.  We listened to the great and constant roll of thunder echoing around us.  Watching as the lightning lit up the layers of clouds making intricate patterns in the evening sky as the clouds moved and ebbed along.  

There is a spell-binding quality to a stormy evening sky that pulls me in, makes me want to be quiet and watchful.  There is something to be said for standing in nature’s path knowing safety and warmth is a step behind you should it get to be too much.  

Mid-summer Already?

Where is my summer going? It cannot be August on Monday it just can’t be. This summer is slipping away much too quickly. It feels as if I haven’t done nearly 1/2 of the things I wanted to do or the things I should do and I’m running out of time.

I realize it was an awful late start to the season as spring adamantly refused to show up hiding behind gusting winds and weeks of ice cold rain and sleet.  When finally spring came it leaped into summer very quickly and now that seems to be disappearing at a rather alarming rate as well.

I don’t think I’ve spent more than a few minutes swinging in my hammock, we have only been to the beach once and I’ve barely begun my warm weather to do list. The next few weeks are packed with plans as well so those peaceful moments I so love about summer will remain hard to come by.

Maybe that is part of why those moments are so special simply because they are oh so anticipated and rare. So what if I don’t get the dishes done and sweep up all the dog hair, or even if I don’t get my to do list done I would rather have one of those lazy summer days I love so much, a day with nothing to do and all day to do it in.  

So I vow that at some point this weekend between birthday plans for E and things that really do have to be done I will find some time to chill out with a book and a glass of wine on my hammock, feet up and swaying in the breeze. 

Time to try and ignore all the little stuff, and the big stuff I should get done, it will still be there next week. Before I know it summer won’t be.