When it rains, it pours.... and hails.

Yesterday afternoon around 4:22 the skies started to get dark and cloudy.
In the distance you heard the occasional rumble.


Then on my drive home from work the radio said "Severe Thunderstorm warning, winds of 40 mph, hail the size of quarters. This is a dangerous storm, if you are outside please seek shelter and stay away from the windows."


I love the rain, I love thunderstorms. It's so violent and beautiful at the same time.


As I'm driving home the rain begins, it's just a sprinkle at first.
Then it begins to really pour you know the pour where you have your windshield wipers on high and you still have to squint and tilt your head to the side and turn the radio down, just so you can see the road? Yeah it was like that.


When I got home, it let up for a minute.
I took that time to jump out of my truck un-tie the dog and run for the porch.

Side Note: MY FAVORITE SMELL IN THE WORLD IS THE SMELL BEFORE AND AFTER IT RAINS. AHH IT'S SO GOOD.


This was a pretty intense storm and loud. Very loud. I should know because I was watching the entire thing. Sitting and watching storms is very calming, it's also a good time to eat ice cream, or drink wine.

I couldn't believe the amount of rain we got in such a short time.


I had standing water in my back yard, it was pouring off my roof. The drive way was already full of puddles.


For a storm fanatic like myself this old gal was awesome.

When lightening would hit it would light up the whole sky, this would be followed by a loud crack or a drawn out rumble. Don't believe me?
Watch for yourself.

The loud static noise? That is the rain pouring down on my house.
The building you can see is my chicken house. Luckily all the chickens were inside where they were all safe and sound, and dry.

Finally the clouds broke and the sun peeked through before setting.
Is there really a better way to conclude a Monday night?

The calm before the storm

Have you ever noticed this?
I'm sure you've heard the saying before "The calm before the storm"
This saying holds true to everything. No stop it, it does too. Every time.

It doesn't matter what circumstance or life style you life or have or want or dream of or... nevermind.

What I'm stammering about is this.

When things are calm, you have all the bills paid, all the barns cleaned, your floors waxed and your picture frames dusted, and heck even your toilets scrubbed.
You take a second to sit on the couch and eat ice cream while watching your favorite show, or movie.
Then WAM! BAM! The storm hits, something happens that upsets your time on the couch eating bon bons and watching TV. It can be anything really, the cat pukes on your clean floors, the dogs bring mud on your clean carpet, you get the plague and have doctor bills.

You don't believe me? Let me draw another scenario!

The Ranch, ah it's a very quiet place when you aren't working. And if you are familiar with Ranching life styles, you are always working. There is something to do always, the job is never done always. Always you are busy. (do you ever watch Mad TV?)

Well our calm is before a big event. Big events are measured in 5-6 big events. (usually)
1. Calving
2. Haying
3. Shipping
4. Branding
5. Weaning/ Sorting
6. Fencing (Ryan's favorite)
(disclaimer, these are not in any specific order)
Of course before these big events it's all about preparation! Preparation will be your what if scenario! You prepare for everything, good and bad.
Once that's all done, and it usually takes a while for everything to be finished. Finally the cowboy's can enjoy some downtime. Easy busy work, getting off early, you know their time to sit on the couch and eat bon bon's.

Then WAM! BAM! it happens. Your Cows get out and are living on the neighbor ranch or It snows in June when you want to Brand or Your baler breaks after 3 bales or it gets to be -40 during calving and all the cows decide today is the day to calve (why do they do that?)

Anyways you get the idea, and if you weren't believers before you should be now!
Don't worry though, there is a cure. You just have to live in utter and complete craziness to ensure this doesn't happen.
To be sure I don't fall victim to this again, I'm going one step further I stopped cleaning my house and doing laundry! Yep I think I'm safe.