Storms & Snakes

It's been an adventuresome last few days, to say the least. On Wednesday evening, while we were in Hot Springs at prayer meeting, there was quite a storm in Buffalo Gap. The typical day lately has been hot, but then cool in the evening with a rain shower during the night - that being the case we left most of our windows open, hoping to come home to a cooled off house. Well, we did - it was cooler....and it was soaked! Our bay window had water pooling in it while the floor was soaked for about 4 feet out from the window, our computer desk was saturated along with all the many papers on it (thankfully the thick curtain had blown up against the backside of the computer and kept it completely dry), the keyboard had water all down in it but I turned it over and drained it and it was fine =), only our 'mouse' bit the dust. I think it must have rained sideways! Even the basement had areas of water as well as the ceilings in the kids bedrooms.....YUK. As for my garden ~ it looks to be completely obliterated but time will tell.

Our neighbor said there were 60 mile-an-hour winds and the sky was green and swirling....I love a good storm! Man, I wish I'd been here!

Anyway, last night we had a smaller version of the same thing. We had company here and ended up throwing all their kids as well as our kids into bed and waiting out the storm with Tod and Tarin.

The most exciting part of the storm clean-up came yesterday afternoon....There were several large branches down in our yard and Zach was in the process of cleaning them up when he almost picked up a snake....a bull snake that is. Once again Mathew 'just happened' to be home and quickly came to our rescue=)

WARNING: Grammy Jane, don't look at these pictures!

Here it is, all coiled up and hissing and striking to beat the band. The hissing noise is meant to imitate the rattlesnake as they look somewhat the same.

Here are the brave ones in the family, besides Daddy, who wanted to hold the snake - once Daddy had 'incapacitated' it! It was soooo disgusting! By the way, Alana does NOT take after me...I got as close as the zoom on the camera let me get!

Our brief garbage-side ceremony...may he rot in peace!

PS for David Flinck: "Can you make out Matthew's footwear?"