Fierce Winds

There were warnings of strong winds, but we rarely get what is promised. I finished my shower. John got caught in the bathroom without windows or lights. I opened the door so he could see to get out. The generator kicked in, giving us electricity for the water pump, the microwave, and lights in several rooms. I ran out in the rain to check the gauge on the propane tank. We had no idea how much could be used if the power were out a long time.

Meanwhile, the wind roared and whistled. John left to keep two doctors’ appointments. I found the wind very unsettling. It was hard to think of anything but the sound of the wind. There was a crash on the screened porch as a glass candle holder exploded when it hit the floor. I picked up the pieces, not that they would be blown about like shrapnel. The bird feeder crashed on the bedroom deck. I put on a raincoat and rigged it up at a lower level, and the birds flocked to it. Stripping and remaking the guest bed seemed a good idea in case anyone needed to stay with us. I almost slipped on the kitchen floor and found water there. Somehow the fountain pump reversed itself, pumping water out of the container instead of inside it. What a mess! It seemed prudent to fill wastebaskets with water for the toilet and pitchers with drinking water. Back in the bedroom, I glanced out and saw the most brilliant rainbow I’d ever seen. An hour later there was another one, not so bright, but lying under the mountain. Only one photo showed a semblance of its brilliance.

The wind continued its blustery mayhem. I pricked up my ears at sounds from the garage area. I was about to investigate when I heard a greeting from son $. He was here to visit before keeping an appointment in town.

We thought there would be rain all day. Instead, there was blue sky with white clouds scudding to the northeast. The shadows on the mountain slithered up and down the slopes, making a landscape that changed second by second. Sometimes it looked like dinosaurs chasing each other.