Storms and After Effects

The skies were looking really threatening last night and we were under a tornado and a severe thunderstorm watch from late afternoon until the middle of the night. The wonderful thing, though, is that we had no rain here at my home. So it took me by surprise this morning when listening to my local news that serious hail and rain had come just a few miles south of me - hard enough hail to break car windows. OK, I'm impressed, and I'm super grateful that the storm went south of my house. What a relief. Of course, the store is right in that area so I'll have to see if our merchandise survived and if our roof leaked again (a regular story that is oh...so...boring).

We had a bank of clouds come rolling in at 6:00 pm or so. Not quite this
dramatic, but a definite wall of clouds. Weather is SO interesting.

It's my day off today. I'm recharging my camera in hopes that I can get over to my father-by-marriage's house today to start taking photos of the things we want to donate. I researched locations of places that will accept donations yesterday and we need to get the house cleared - hopefully before the State Fair begins on the 22nd. I also have to get my own house cleaned before my BFF Sharon arrives for her annual vacation and State Fair experience but I'll be pushing the envelope on that one - working on my FBM's house until the Fair opens and then shifting my efforts to my own place. In between all of this I need to write - I have an end of the month deadline for my SinS and I'll have drabbles each week to do. Guess I won't be bored...

I am a huge fan of Mattias Hacker's urban desolation photography. If you
like this one, check out his Deviant Art website. 

In the late 1990's we purchased a used Chevy Blazer from a school friend of my yougest nephew. As I recall it was a bit more than $2000. It ran well, had a rebuilt engine, and it was our workhorse for many years. It had the radio stolen from it on Halloween many years ago and finally began having electrical problems in 2008 or 09. It is in my driveway - it can be moved, but we don't. Now why am I telling you all of this?

This pic looks much nicer than our Blazer, but it is of a similar age.
It will be a delight to have a driveway again!

As we were distributing things to the various nieces and nephews, my nephew asked if we still owned the SUV. When we said "yes," he said that his friend might be interested in getting it back. Well, they came over and looked at the vehicle last night and yes, the original owner wants it back. We'll meet with him on Sunday and give him the title and the keys and he can take it away. I'll finally have a driveway again and we can start seriously looking for a truck. Yeah - I'm a happy person! We were going to donate it to the Disabled American Veterans, but he wants to rebuild it again with his 7-year-old son so it sounds like it will be returning to a good home.

Chickie put in her last 2013 vacation request yesterday. She'll take a day or so off during the State Fair, but wants a week in mid-October. That's skirting the edge of what we allow - we really don't like vacations that late in the year while we're getting ready for the holiday season of retail sales. But she has the days and we'll manage. I hate those weeks when I don't have a day off, though. I get very grumbly :-)

A new moon...a time to begin again.

Have a wonderful Wednesday. It's a new moon (as of last night) so enjoy the possibilities of growth and expansion today.