It started out nice and partly sunny, so we were able to get a lot of outside things done, getting ready to plant the gardens. As David and Elizabeth didn’t have to work, they came up and spent the weekend working on the cabin. As almost all the insulation and wiring has been done, David started hanging drywall. With the drywall lift he’d been able to borrow from Bill’s friend, Andy, the job was much easier than the old way of propping it in place with a 2×4 and one-inch board forming a T on top. I was amazed at how much was done in just a short time! He started in the kitchen, installing green, water-resistant drywall on the lower walls, after the ceiling had been put up, where the counters will go, just in case there was any splashing or water leaking.

David’s kitchen is now completely finished in drywall!
We knew storms were coming so Will helped David carry more sheetrock into the cabin.

As the days passed, the weather got worse and worse. Finally, Elizabeth took Delilah home as she had to work on Tuesday. But by supper time, there were severe thunderstorm warnings out and a tornado had touched down about 17 miles southwest of us! The wind was getting bad while we ate. David had come to the house for supper and had just left when the trees started to whip and bend awfully bad. I tried to call him to get him over here, where we have a basement. But it went to voicemail. I jumped in the car and tore over to his house, with trees thrashing overhead and rain pouring down. I started laying on the horn when I turned up his drive. And boy was I relieved when he opened the door and ran out to the car.

Granddaughter, Delilah, loved running in front of the fan David had on, as it was 80 degrees while he was hanging drywall.

We drove home and spent the next half an hour alternately watching the radar on his phone to watching out the south-facing windows, skyward. Another tornado touched down west of us, but luckily, did no damage. Finally, the rain stopped, along with the lightning, thunder, and tremendous wind gusts. (Boy did our wind generator’s brake ever scream in that wind!) No damage done to anything but a few tree branches on the driveway. So, it’s on with life as we know it. Thank you, God! — Jackie

25 COMMENTS

  1. Microbursts are bad enough (and frankly, I think they call them that because they *missed* the fact it was a tornado). Nothing scarier than seeing large trees crashing down during a lightening strike – yep, basement time.
    Hope David will have a basement/storm shelter. Our first house had an extremely small basement but at least it was a basement.
    Squash and zukes are looking good – had to replant cucumber but that wasn’t as protected as the squash and zukes. All those seeds purchased from you and now that I think of it, I’ll put a more protective cage around it. Potatoes are huge already – even though Good Friday was later this year, we may be able to eat some new potatoes in July. Strawberries are looking good – cannot wait for the first harvest. We were a bit selective cutting asparagus this year. Don’t get me started on someone-who-shall-remain-nameless *not* marking areas last fall where no plants came up. But instead planting this spring in an area that, yep you guessed it, *did* have plants. Oh well, it is weeding time of the year for the asparagus bed. If only as much asparagus as newly sprouted trees. Tis the bane of living in the woods.
    Some times the smallest thing is entertaining to a toddler. I’m sure the breeze blowing through her hair felt food. Four by eight sheets of sheet rock are easier to handle than four by twelve. Neither is pleasant to install when over one’s head (flat ceiling or vaulted ceiling). My arms get tired just thinking about it lol.

    • David is putting in an underground storm shelter when he gets the house done. For now, he has to rely on our basement, 2 minutes away when you’re in a hurry! He was going to use 4’x12′ sheets of drywall but decided the shorter sheets would be easier to carry into the cabin. He’s happy, using friend, Andy’s drywall jack. It’s much better than hoisting them overhead by hand.

      • Wise move using 4 X 8 – there are times when one needs to work smarter than harder.
        And very, very happy to hear he’ll have a storm shelter. In our area (we’re not far from water but are on high ground – if we flood bad news for the entire area), tornadoes our are main threat. Which I’ll take any day over floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and/or fire.

  2. I am thankful that you and yours are safe. What a beautiful picture of the porch with the flag flying. Bette

    • We keep that flag flying, year-around as a reminder of how lucky we are to be free and to remember those who sacrificed so we would remain so.

  3. It is always a good thing when tornadoes go around or over. But don’t like those “nearby”. LOL
    Glad all of you are o.k. We get a lot down here, too. Got my Winter Squashes and Winter Luxury seeds. I also shared a few with some Amish friends and a spare catalog or two. I am hoping for the best. I’ve already put up some tender squash in the freezer (21 quarts) and today canned 14 pints of English peas. I can’t wait for harvest this year. I’m just enjoying the moment of watching things grow and canning for winter.

  4. So thankful you all are ok. Severe weather is terrifying! Nice to see the progress on David’s cabin. I’m sure they are anxious to get moved in! Won’t it be nice to have a granddaughter close by! Prayers for a safe and productive week.

    • Thank you! Yes, I’m sure looking forward to having a granddaughter living nearby. That’s a first for us. We’re busy as a hive of bees right now as everything must go in NOW! That’s how it is with short season climates.

  5. Jackie,
    Thank God you all are okay. We’re to have bad weather here in about 2 hours.
    What is the name of the flowers hanging on your porch? They are very pretty.
    Are they in full sun?
    Thank you
    Shonda

    • I hope you escaped dreadful weather this time!! The first basket is a fuchsia and the others are Night Sky petunias. They have full sun in the morning until almost noon, then they’re shaded as the porch is on the north side of the house.

  6. So glad things turned out well for you and no tornado touched you. I once spent time in a basement and never want to do it again. Too scary. David’s place is looking good! How wonderful for him. I can’t build a house but I do keep busy building fences because of the deer. Grrr. They got into my orchard. The trees they attacked will come back but it will take time. Hunting season can’t come soon enough!!!

    • Apple flavored venison…. lol I’m so proud of David, building his own house, his way, and no loan involved (although he may need one to get the septic completed). When I was a kid, living in southern Michigan, we had plenty of basement time and it sure wasn’t fun. But I was glad we HAD a basement!

  7. What a scary situation, glad everyone is safe! Thanks for keeping us updated on the cabin. I think David was about 10 when I first started following you Jackie, so you guys seem like family now ?. Stay safe all.

  8. I thought of you and Will when I heard about the storms in Minnesota…….luckily we don’t have that issue here in Maine……very, very scary sounding….so glad you are all safe……

    • We seldom have tornadoes here, but we do, once in awhile. We’re happy to have had that one go around us and cause nobody any damage around our neck of the woods.

  9. I saw on the news about tornadoes in Minnesota and thought of you. Thankful you’re all safe.

  10. I Am always surprised how “on it” you Are!! Quick to action! Nothing like “Life”” experience to guide us in a emergency. Glad it all worked out well.

    • I’m pretty good in an emergency. But if it was something really bad, I crash afterward!!

  11. So thankful you were unscathed in the tornadoes. I grew up with them, so I don’t wish them on anyone.

    It’s been busy here. Pulling trees abs making more room for my gardens. I planted 75 strawberry plants today, which was fun after I built the planter to put them in.

    I planted squash seeds I bought this year last week, and I feel so impatient for them to come up! None have yet. Just wanting them to get a good start.

    I’m itching to plant other stuff, and hopefully this weekend I can get in all my cold hardy stuff. I’m sure we will get another frost, so I don’t dare set out any plants. Soon!

    • Yep. I grew up near Detroit and we had plenty of “run to the basement” storms and saw, first hand, the destruction a twister can produce in a few minutes. We’re getting antsy about starting to plant but the next few nights are going into the “high” thirties, which usually means, for us, at least, down to freezing. Ish!

    • Thank you, Sandy. We were pretty relieved to have missed the worst of the storm.

Comments are closed.