Thank the Good Lord!!!

This morning was the first out of three that I awakened to the sound of our neighborhood birds and NO wind! It was TOTALLY delightful!!!

No matter where you went on Monday and Tuesday, people were complaining of these worse than normal winds. I would be inclined to say that they were probably historical. I had talked to Grandma (Neva Kiefer-Duncan) yesterday morning. She told me that until we get rain, the winds will continue. Looks like she was right! Rains fell last night and the wind quieted. I don't know how much we got because our brand new rainguage has a hole in it.

As you know, I am the "sanitation engineer" for a couple of businesses in Leoti. Around 5:00, I went to one of the locations and parked facing west. Even with my "brute" strength, I had difficulty opening my car door. Just as soon as I had cleared the doorway, the swift winds shoved my door shut QUICKLY! And if that wasn't bad enough, it caused another not so wonderful event to happen...

Now, you already know about my cow-cow experience at the mailbox. Yesterday's occurence was equally, if not more embarrassing! Because of my drama with the long and loose-fitting moo moo, I decided to wear clothes that "hugged " my robust body well--or so I thought. My shorts remained in place but my shirt, I am afraid, did not. A gust of wind went between my upper body and shirt and lifted the shirt WAY ABOVE MY HEAD!!! Oh, my goodness! Was I ever shocked! Our daughter, Leighlyn, was walking behind me and saw the WHOLE thing! Believe me, there was very little of my body from the waist up that didn't show... Of course, I grabbed it and pulled it back into place quickly, but STILL!!! That was just the beginning of the fun and games. The wind actually managed to pick me up ever-so-slightly before it returned me to Mother Earth. My daughters were also picked up. But because they are not nearly as hefty as I am, their flight through the air lasted a few seconds, at least. Their flight started on the sidewalk and ended in the grassy ground beside it. Fortunately, there were no injuries! LOL!!!

Later, a man was basically blown from the same area into the building. He stands over 6 feet tall and is built like a long skinny green bean. He had NO defences from this wind. You know what it is like to ride in a tall vehicle in the wind? He had the same plight. Fortunately, he was also unscathed except for a bit of embarrassment that he was feeling! Shoot! He had no reason for being embarrassed but I certainly did!!!

When it was time to take the trash to the dumpster, we found that the wind had actually picked it up, moved it a significant amount and then deposited it on it's side. We're not talking about these trashcans that the City provides for us. We're talking about a very large METAL rectangular-shaped apparatus on 4 legs! Out of all of the years that I have worked out there, this is the absolute first time that I have seen that happen! So, the trash remained in the building because there was no way that Stan and I could lift it back onto it's bottom with the winds that were charging right on through!

We had to make a very quick trip to Scott City a bit later. We drove through a barrage of last year's corn leaves that were blowing from the south to the north. I am assuming that they came to rest in the same fields that they had probably found life in last Fall. You know Western Kansas...Things blow in one direction one day and blow in the opposite direction the next day.

Anyway, thank you, Lord, for bringing much-needed rain to us and for quieting the winds!!!

VLE-B