Strangers in the Night
I didn't really give the conclusion to the post on Saturday night/Sunday morning about trying to fall asleep to a tornado watch. Well, I left the news on and tried to stay awake as I watched the storm get nearer and nearer on the dopler radar. I can't remember exactly what time it was, but I want to say it was about 3:00-ish... the lady on the television was essentially saying "If you live anywhere remotely close to Franklin, you're going to die very soon."
So Phebe and I went and sat downstairs for about a half an hour as the wind whipped the rain into the windows. We both had a really eerie feeling. Finally it calmed down, and we check the news before going back to bed.
Turns out an F1 tornado wreaked havoc just two miles from my house. (Granted, that's on the low end of the scale, but anything they are calling a "tornado" that is less than 30 miles from my house is bad to me.) It was absolutely incredible, in the worst sense of the word, to drive through there and see the destruction. Gigantic beautiful trees were uprooted. So sad.
Tonight I took my camera and walked around for a couple hours. And I am dubbing this evening "Talking with Strangers Night". Here are some excerpts in order of appearance:
The Guy from Maryland
I came upon a house that clearly had a tree fall right on top of it, though they had cleared most of the tree away by then. I could see into the attic. A gentleman was on the drive holding his orange cellphone. He looked up, and I asked as sympathetically as I could whether it was his house.
He walked up to me and invited me to take a photograph of the house if I wished... which I did. He explained that he is from Maryland, and that it was his mother's house. He pointed out an 80-year-old woman with an ornately carved cane standing by a Ryder truck. "It's a total loss, but thankfully nothing happened to her bedroom."
He said that it was a blessing in disguise, because his mother needed to be in an assisted living home, but she had been insistant about staying in her home. So he and his brother, who joined us later, were at least happy that she was considering other options now.
The Lady with the Branch
Down a side road, I came upon a lady who was dragging branches to the curb.
"Taking pictures for posterity?" she asked as I approached. I told her that I just couldn't believe what I had seen this evening.
I asked about her experience, and she said, "I didn't even have time to get out of bed. I didn't hear the supposed freight-train sound. It hit us so fast. See back behind the house? We used to have a whole row of trees there. All gone. They're all gone."
Hutchisons Tree Service Guy
A giant tree was uprooted on Old Liberty. I have never seen anything like it. Uprooted. Like all the roots for a five foot radius around the gigantic trunk.
I passed a truck where one of the tree guys was stopped to get a drink.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm fine... how are you?"
With a wink, he answered, "I'm all right... though I thought these last ten days might kill me."
The Dog Guy
There was a golden retriever running around the neighborhood as I was walking back to my car. She was obviously spooked by the chorus of chainsaws all around. There was no tag on her collar, so I did not know where her home was. She stayed by me for a little bit, but then she kept running out into traffic. (Though all the traffic was going slow due to crews working on power lines and lots of gawkers looking around.) I kept trying to call her back, but she wouldn't always listen... plus I wasn't exactly sure I wanted her to follow me home.
At one point I was trying to get her off the road while trying to avoid being hit myself, when a guy in a truck going the opposite direction called out to ask if it was my dog. With a helpless look, I replied that it was not. He just nodded and pulled off the road while I managed to get her collar and convinced her to sit on a lawn.
He helped me take her around to a few of the houses to see if they recognized her. Sure enough, one couple said that it was their neighbors' and helped us put her back in her yard.
The dog's name was Goldie. Never did find out the guy's.
Chunk White Guy
Okay, this was later when I went to WalMart with Tina... but it was still a stranger. I was just way too tired with way too much energy to be in a WalMart, and I was absolutely amused by everything. Plus Tina makes a great comedic outlet, because she laughs along.
We had a moment remembering salisbury steak from our high school cafeterias. Later I found a ham in a can... and I explained that those would be good to go for if we were on Supermarket Sweep. Then somehow we got to talking about what kind of tuna supposedly tastes better... and I said that I never know what kind I am supposed to get... white chunk, solid light, white light, solid chunk. Tuna is so confusing.
So Tina went off to look for bacon while I kept the cart from wandering off... when this guy pulls up with his cart right next to me. He rumages around a little bit and pulls out a three-pack of Solid Light Starkist.
"This is the good stuff," he said and walked on.
So now I'm really anxious to get my photos back. It will be good.
Don't miss The Jayhawks on Letterman Tuesday night.
I didn't really give the conclusion to the post on Saturday night/Sunday morning about trying to fall asleep to a tornado watch. Well, I left the news on and tried to stay awake as I watched the storm get nearer and nearer on the dopler radar. I can't remember exactly what time it was, but I want to say it was about 3:00-ish... the lady on the television was essentially saying "If you live anywhere remotely close to Franklin, you're going to die very soon."
So Phebe and I went and sat downstairs for about a half an hour as the wind whipped the rain into the windows. We both had a really eerie feeling. Finally it calmed down, and we check the news before going back to bed.
Turns out an F1 tornado wreaked havoc just two miles from my house. (Granted, that's on the low end of the scale, but anything they are calling a "tornado" that is less than 30 miles from my house is bad to me.) It was absolutely incredible, in the worst sense of the word, to drive through there and see the destruction. Gigantic beautiful trees were uprooted. So sad.
Tonight I took my camera and walked around for a couple hours. And I am dubbing this evening "Talking with Strangers Night". Here are some excerpts in order of appearance:
The Guy from Maryland
I came upon a house that clearly had a tree fall right on top of it, though they had cleared most of the tree away by then. I could see into the attic. A gentleman was on the drive holding his orange cellphone. He looked up, and I asked as sympathetically as I could whether it was his house.
He walked up to me and invited me to take a photograph of the house if I wished... which I did. He explained that he is from Maryland, and that it was his mother's house. He pointed out an 80-year-old woman with an ornately carved cane standing by a Ryder truck. "It's a total loss, but thankfully nothing happened to her bedroom."
He said that it was a blessing in disguise, because his mother needed to be in an assisted living home, but she had been insistant about staying in her home. So he and his brother, who joined us later, were at least happy that she was considering other options now.
The Lady with the Branch
Down a side road, I came upon a lady who was dragging branches to the curb.
"Taking pictures for posterity?" she asked as I approached. I told her that I just couldn't believe what I had seen this evening.
I asked about her experience, and she said, "I didn't even have time to get out of bed. I didn't hear the supposed freight-train sound. It hit us so fast. See back behind the house? We used to have a whole row of trees there. All gone. They're all gone."
Hutchisons Tree Service Guy
A giant tree was uprooted on Old Liberty. I have never seen anything like it. Uprooted. Like all the roots for a five foot radius around the gigantic trunk.
I passed a truck where one of the tree guys was stopped to get a drink.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm fine... how are you?"
With a wink, he answered, "I'm all right... though I thought these last ten days might kill me."
The Dog Guy
There was a golden retriever running around the neighborhood as I was walking back to my car. She was obviously spooked by the chorus of chainsaws all around. There was no tag on her collar, so I did not know where her home was. She stayed by me for a little bit, but then she kept running out into traffic. (Though all the traffic was going slow due to crews working on power lines and lots of gawkers looking around.) I kept trying to call her back, but she wouldn't always listen... plus I wasn't exactly sure I wanted her to follow me home.
At one point I was trying to get her off the road while trying to avoid being hit myself, when a guy in a truck going the opposite direction called out to ask if it was my dog. With a helpless look, I replied that it was not. He just nodded and pulled off the road while I managed to get her collar and convinced her to sit on a lawn.
He helped me take her around to a few of the houses to see if they recognized her. Sure enough, one couple said that it was their neighbors' and helped us put her back in her yard.
The dog's name was Goldie. Never did find out the guy's.
Chunk White Guy
Okay, this was later when I went to WalMart with Tina... but it was still a stranger. I was just way too tired with way too much energy to be in a WalMart, and I was absolutely amused by everything. Plus Tina makes a great comedic outlet, because she laughs along.
We had a moment remembering salisbury steak from our high school cafeterias. Later I found a ham in a can... and I explained that those would be good to go for if we were on Supermarket Sweep. Then somehow we got to talking about what kind of tuna supposedly tastes better... and I said that I never know what kind I am supposed to get... white chunk, solid light, white light, solid chunk. Tuna is so confusing.
So Tina went off to look for bacon while I kept the cart from wandering off... when this guy pulls up with his cart right next to me. He rumages around a little bit and pulls out a three-pack of Solid Light Starkist.
"This is the good stuff," he said and walked on.
So now I'm really anxious to get my photos back. It will be good.
Don't miss The Jayhawks on Letterman Tuesday night.
Post a comment