A Ferocious Little Storm

The storm we had the other day was little only because it didn't last long.  But it was fierce.  David, Jan and I think it was the most intense 20 to 45 minutes of weather we've ever lived through.  I say 20 to 45 minutes because how long it lasted depends on who's telling the story.  Anyway, we saw black clouds and decided to bring the horses in just in case there was lightning.  Or hail.

As soon as we got back to the house, the wind began to roar and the hail started.  We drove (drove!  it's a short walk when it's not hailing) back to the barn and shut the horses in.  It took all of our strength to shut the doors.  I quickly learned how much hail hurts, even when it's little splatty wet hail.  I had to pause, catch my breath and give myself a pep talk before I got the last door shut.  We drove back to the house, soaking wet, and watched sidewards sheets of rain blow across.  I didn't get any photos of the storm - I was just standing there with my mouth open.  We got between 2 and 3 inches of rain, depending on who you talk to.  Three inches is my story, and I'm sticking to it.  Over at Jan's, she too was in the barn shutting the horses in.  She thought it might be a tornado.  It was that fast, and that intense.

After the storm, there were streams where there were never streams before.

I didn't get a photo of the little gully that runs along the back edge of the ranch because I was stunned. It was a raging river.  Normally it's dry, but sometimes it has a couple of little puddles in it.  Never running water.  The coyotes like to hang out there.  That night I was mighty glad to hear them whine and complain - I knew they survived the storm.

Our storm is over, and all that's left behind is the flies.  We've never had a fly problem before.  I'm blaming the wet weather.  I hate flies.  The horses hate flies.  Please, flies, be gone!