There is nothing quite like the excitement and horrible stress of a tornado warning. Add to it trying to cram 1 Golden Retriever and 5 Tibetan Terriers, a Yorkie and 3 puppies only 3 weeks old into a half bathroom under the stairs! Not just for 1 hour but for 3 and a half!
So at first I crammed Kitsi and her 3 puppies into a small cage and put them under the stairs. I then went outside to DRAG the 78 lb Golden Retriever mix-Bear-into the house against his stubborn, bull headed will. He is terrified of storms so always runs into the "Bachelor Pad" at the first crack of thunder or smell of up coming rain. Dragging him into the house with my bad back is no easy chore! The el haltose at the door and trying to lift him into the house and sliding across the tile kitchen floor. Okay that was my work out for the day. Next came the 4 Tibetans and the Yorkie. Threw their collars onto the sink and went to get their leashes in the garage. Luckily I had made room under the stairs for a cage the night before and also hung their collars-labeled so they could be grabbed in a hurry. Did this on Sunday after everyone had prayed for rain at church. Be careful what you pray for!
Ken, of course was out of town. I ran back and forth between t.v., weather radio, regular radio and the computer checking out the radar.
Also delivering water to the dogs and listening to Kitsi whining under the stairs.
Oh, I forgot about the excitement from the cats!! I threw the MEAN old girl, Shadow, in the hall closet. Mind you the cats HHHAAATTTTEEEE each other and won't get within 5 ft of each other. Then I was off to find the normally sweet, laid back Bugs. He is a Ragdoll and normally acts like one when you pick him up. Not today! He knew something was going on, and yelled at me and tried to claw me. Finally snatched him up and threw him in the closet. As soon as I opened the door, Shadow got the speed of a youngster and darted out the door. In the meantime Ken called and I told him I had to go find Shadow again. I guess you have to experience MMMEEAANNN Shadow (though she has mellowed at the age of 15!) to appreciate what Ken said. He said "Let Shadow GO". No huge loss I guess if we had to sacrifice her. She is so mean that no tornado could even kill her. Think she will live forever! I finally found her and threw her in the closet and slammed the door. All kinds of hissing and screaming went on for a few seconds and then it was quiet. They had pillows they could climb or hide underneath.
So here I was sitting in the bathroom-ROASTING HOT-listening to Kitsi whine and thinking about how much $ the dogs under the stairs are worth and a tornado would probably suck them out! I dared to leave the bathroom, took Kitsi to the bathroom, with the other 4 TTs, 1 dorkie Yorkie, stubborn old Bear, my purse, now the computer that doesn't work in a storm-thank you wireless satellite!, leashes, a bowl of water, pillows so the room was full. Couldn't leave the puppies alone so took the Yorkie cage, crammed it by the toilet and put the 3 tt puppies in it. Now that room was full! Our Champion Stud dog-Koda was sitting up against the door. Guess he thumped it with his rear and turned around and had a barking fit! Little gun shy Koda??
So I am listening to the Noah weather radio, switching between that and our wonderful local station. In the 3 1/2 hrs tornado warnings kept renewing. The hail was golf ball size and the wind was horrible. All the time running in and out and looking outside, checking the t.v. and calling Ken or Ken calling, texting people and sending pictures of the dogs all crammed into the tiny bathroom.
The hail finally stopped so I went to look at the clouds. The coolness of the wind and the wet grass was so nice. The frogs were so happy at the pond. Then I looked up in the sky and the clouds were ominous! They were circling right above our house! I went back to my safe room with stinky, panting, hot dogs and listened to our local radio station which was reporting rotation over our house and near by. Noah was reporting "tornadoes will be in Fairfield at.....I-45 between mile marker....."which was us! Not the storm will be in Fairfield at....but the TORNADO will be in Fairfield at.....!!!!!!!!
I figured if I heard a train, then I would duck under the pillows crammed in the corner of the room. Sometimes during storms, the quiet is more terrifying than the wind and rain!
Finally at 9:20pm, I opened the door to the bathroom, cleaned up June Bugs accident that she was so embarrassed about, and tried to get us all calmed down.
It was an experience. After living here for 11 yrs, we have never experienced that closeness to a possible tornado. I know I am supposed to be the calm, pack leader but last night was pretty stressful and I was scared to death!
The cats came out of the closet in one piece. Only thing they did was knock some videos off the shelf.
I am a true believer in praying in specifics! I told a friend "we prayed for rain but should have specified-NO TORNADOES or HAIL, Please!!" We did get over 2 inches of rain to help with our draught.
Expecting same stuff today in the weather but now I am prepared!
Funny thing is-I HATE to pay a high electric bill. Ask my kids. We melt in the summer and freeze in the winter. Last night I kept cranking the air! That bathroom was so hot with hot panting dogs! Nothing quite like it! The smell of ODE TO DOG!
Hope we don't have a replay of it today!!
