we're not in Kansas anymore. Or are we?

Yesterday afernoon, I'd just gotten home from tuting at the library.  This particular library is about a mile and a half away, and I typically ride my bike to/from. But the weather people predicted "severe storms" for right about that time, so I wimpily drove.

I'd driven under relatively clear skies and dry roads, so I was all "PFFFT" at the weather people.

I had the radio on as I was padding around the house when a weather alert came on.  Just vaguely paying attention, I heard things like "tornado...", "rotation...", "take immediate shelter...".  I peeked out one of my windows and saw... nothing.

So I went outside and looked a little to the north and west and... HOLY DOROTHY AND TOTO!  Dark dark clouds, including an ominous cylindrical shape.

Just then, Meego arrived home from his work, from where he'd gotten a better look at the storm.  So we did a bit of "storm chasing" a.k.a. we wandered around the neighborhood trying to get the best look.  Our view was mostly blocked by houses and trees and such, but someone from one of my facebook groups got this shot from the south:

As we wandered, the wind increased rather dramatically as the temperature rapidly dropped.  The weather alert said the storm was moving east, but it seemed to have shifted a bit to the south as well.  Novice storm chasers that we are, we took off running for home as large raindrops began to pellet us.

We got there just as it started to pour rain.  The dogs were in their dog run in the yard, all, "Get us the hell outta here!!"  Meego, the dogs, and I then made a beeline for the house.  Yeah, about 2 minutes after we got inside, things settled down to a calm shower. Figures.

Thankfully, the tornado didn't fully form, and the storm continued out of the area, but it made for some excitement.  The photo taken above shows it sitting about over the Air Force Academy which is near to where we live.  It was eerie to be out there looking at the sky and hearing the Academy alert sirens.  I almost expected Godzilla to emerge from the mist ala [THIS]

He didn't.  Shucks.

In other news, sweet Tiffany passed on yesterday afternoon.  The family kept her on life support until sometime yesterday since her sister arrived from out of town on Wednesday.

I was able to visit Tiffany one last time in the hospital on Tuesday.  It was rather surreal.  Her eyes were open most of the time but not looking at anything in particular.  Her tongue and lips made some occasional slight movements, and she swallowed a few times.  I'm told this is all just basic brain function.  I held her hand, and it was very warm.  I'm not sure if that was because of the increased sedation she was under, to stop her seizures.

But I did feel her presence, and we had a "moment", otherwise alone in her room in ICU with no other sounds but the calm steady breathing pace from her ventilator.   Strangely peaceful.

Mood:

"Tornado Warning"
referring to the hairdo