Summer Storms
September 13, 2017
Summer Storms
We are an outdoor thrill-seeking kind of family. So, what do we do when the winds die down and there is water everywhere? (And the kids are stir-crazy because it’s been thundering for most of the outside-time hours?)
We go outside…
In our bathing suits…
And get muddy.
Sometimes we ride boogie boards on flooded lawns. (Last year we “boogied” where hurricane Matthew created a pool in our front yard that reached 10 inches deep!) Sometimes we march through the trough of water in the driveway. (This year, new place, new storm, new water adventures.)
The screams of “I found a real pool!” happen when a puddle is more than 3 inches deep.
The big girls make a funny Lego video about Hurricane Irma preparedness. (My favorite part was the guy in line behind the mini-cooper!)
The most fun after the storm is discovering the unique toys in the yard (Like the two felled trees that became “teepees” covered in branches shed by other trees.) and the new “swing.” (A grape vine attached to the maple tree but hanging enticingly low enough and sturdy enough to be used as a temporary swing.)
After a storm, especially a major one, I always try to help everyone focus on the positive.
Bored? We can help the lady next door by cleaning her yard.
An oak tree is gone. But it became a teepee!
The chinaberry tree, a favorite climbing tree, split and fell. But the leaves make a great mulch for the chicken yard and help reduce odor.
The power was out for two days. But we had plenty of maple and oak wood to grill yummy meats and tin foil to bake sweet potatoes! And we had good no-see-um screens & strong, cool breezes!
We couldn’t get out of our street to go to work because of three big trees blocking the roads. But that meant we could stay home and play every board game in the house! (We shifted to the backlit electronics like Scrabble Twist and Catch Phrase once the sun went down.)
We thank God for family, for the opportunities to help others as they presented themselves, for teaching us to find joy in any situation, and for keeping us safe through all summer storms.
Thanks for reading!
Type at you later…
~Nancy Tart
