Playing Tag With Thunderstorms

A quick recap because I didn't process these images from my camera in a timely manner.  One of the really cool things about staying at the RV park in Tehachapi is it's location right next to the little Mountain Valley Airport.

By the way, don't trim the trees under threat of extinction.  On occasion I have had to leave one slide in so as not to get hung up, but for the most part, there is plenty of room.

Throughout the year, this airport is the site of weekend glider fanatics who risk life and limb to glide around the skies.  In order to get up there, they are towed by this little beast.  Actually, it's an old crop-duster.  

They are attached by a long cable as they fly off in circles overhead to get the height they need before the cable is disconnected.

It's pretty fun to watch as the long winged glider gets pulled into the sky.  

Back to Quartzsite .... I was keeping a close eye on this storm that was heading right for me.  There were dust storm warnings and microburst warnings galore.  I was beginning to get a little nervous when I heard a storm in Buckley resulted in three mobile homes being turned upside down and thrashed to bits.  I had to go right through Buckley.

After dumping my tanks with ... can you believe it ... even blacker water than before, I took off very early in the morning hoping I would be able to skirt around the edges of the thunderstorms.  Naturally, in Buckley the black clouds darkened and the rain began to fall.  I drove a little faster, missing most of the wet stuff.

I hit Highway 8 East just barely missing a downpour that looked something like this.  Radar showed Tucson was going to get hit by 1:00.  I drove a little faster.  At long last I arrived at my humble little abode just in time to miss this deluge.

I unloaded the pups and Jonathan, turned on the AC (it was about 95 degrees) and sat on the porch listening to the thunder.  Pretty soon the wind came up and cool air washed over us.  What a storm that was!!

I spent the next couple hours unloading stuff because I just couldn't sit still on the couch, tired as I was.   Finally the heat got the best of me.  I turned the AC down a little more, only to hear a terrible racket outside ... coincidentally right where the AC unit sits.  It's working, but it's making lots of bad noises.  That will be my first call this morning.

My second call will be to a sprinkler repair company.  It seems one of my valves is stuck in the open position, allowing more than my share of water to make my plants really happy.  It did NOT make the water company happy however since I discovered a note on my door.  I'm sure it's another threat of extinction if I don't curb my water usage.  What is it with me and sprinkler systems???

It's a gorgeous day in the desert!!!