We started getting warnings online about severe storms and possible tornadoes that afternoon, but I didn't pay them much mind. I bet I hear that shit 10-12 times a year.
Friday evening about 6, the weather radio went off warning about the storms. Again, I didn't pay them much mind other than parking my F-150 out in the middle of my property so it wouldn't get hit by falling trees or broken branches.
At 6:30, my nearest neighbor called and told us to come hang out in their basement with them if the weather radio went off again.
At 3:30 in the morning, it did just that, announcing radar indicated tornadoes to the southwest with Macon County in the crosshairs.
Again, I wasn't tripping. Lisa on the other hand was going into a full blown panic so I loaded her in the Ranger and headed for Tim and Cathy's.
Between the house and the truck, maybe 30 feet, the rain started coming down so hard that when I did get in the truck, my wipers wouldn't keep up even on the hauling ass setting, so I rolled down the window and stuck my head out so I could see. That's when I heard the tornado siren in Lafayette 5 miles away.
That got my attention.
We stayed at the neighbor's for a couple hours until the danger passed, then came home to a thoroughly pissed off dog. What the fuck, I tried to grab that asshole dog Jack to take him with us but he was fighting me tooth and nail so I had to leave him. I felt bad as hell, but my wife's life is more important than his. Besides, I didn't want to get dog bit and hit by a tornado on the same day.
So from what I can gather from the news so far, Gallatin and Hendersonville to the SW and Bowling Green to the NW were the nearest tornadoes to us, both of them about 30-35 miles away as the crow flies. It's hard to find any information on them what with the media focusing on the big one that destroyed Mayfield.
Lisa finally loosened up and started laughing at me saying she'd never seen anybody so calm in the face of disaster and certain death. Give me a fucking break, Lady - I don't get excited about much of anything before I have my morning coffee.
There was no damage to our place or Tim's, none at all. I didn't expect any - while we got a lot of thunder and lightning, I don't think the winds got above 40 mph here.
And now my fucking truck's stuck out in the middle of the property. I went to drive it up next to the house and was just idling it so the wheels wouldn't spin when all of a sudden the front end dropped and water gushed everywhere. Those fucking mole tunnels that crisscross my yard had filled with water then gave way under the weight of the truck.
And naturally, instead of just walking away until everything dried out, I tried putting it in reverse, giving it just a little gas and the rear wheels spun and sank up to the bottom of the rims, maybe 4 inches. Not much, but my tires just wouldn't get a purchase in that soup. Yes, I know better than to gas it. Yes, I did it anyway.
I tried throwing gravel under the wheels, then rocks, then I jumped in the Ranger and tried to winch it out using a come-along and the Ranger as a base. No joy on that either. Fucker.
I figured to wait until this morning just after dawn to try again. The wind blew pretty good all day Saturday and the temps got below down into the 20s last night, so maybe it'll firm up that mud and I can either drive or pull it out. If that doesn't work I'll just call a tow truck.
Anyways, for all the folks that worried about us, I appreciate your emails.
