A Storm Like No Other

Here I thought the worst of the storms were over and we were headed into autumn.  Close, but no cigar for Nancy.  Although the forecast had been for sunny and warm, Mother Nature had other ideas as a storm warning came across my phone.

I looked outside but it was sunny and beautiful.  That's when I heard the CRACK of lightning at my back.  We were being attacked from the South.  In less than five minutes the wind picked up to hurricane proportions, whipping the trees around like me shaking spider webs off my feather duster.

When the rain began, I felt rather smug as it was across the little valley.  I should have known better.  In another minute it was raining horizontally with the biggest drops of water ever!  

It completely obliterated the mountains and trees.  I know I keep saying this, but I've never seen anything like it.  It's a good thing I wasn't in town because my windshield wipers are trashed, with the rubber mostly gone.  Twenty minutes later, the sun was back out.  The nice part is that it cools things off.

I checked the front to find my walkway flooded, but it didn't last long.  In spite of the concrete like dirt around here, it absorbed completely within 30 minutes.  All this water certainly is making my plants happy!!

As I pondered my latest fabric purchase, a nice variety of Australian prints, another storm came crashing through.  I was hoping it didn't continue, as the Chance Family had invited me to an ice cream fundraiser at granddaughter Laila's school.  

I was't about to miss out on THAT!!  We stopped on the way at Native Wings for dinner.  My chicken parmesan sandwich was pretty tasty.  When I heard they had curly fries, it sealed the deal.  LOVE them!!  I only ate half however ... there was ice cream on the horizon.

That's when we found out it wasn't at the school, but at Baskin Robbins, which has a store just a few miles away.  Ho ho ho ... I'm all over it!!  We donated $5 for a raffle, then went inside and ordered.  BR donated I think 20% of all sales between 5 & 9 to the school.  My favorite Rocky Road was delicious!!  It was a small cup, but the lady filled it to the brim!  That pretty much made up for the spider/scorpion killing in the morning.

The rain storm made for a beautiful sunset as I sat on the patio with the puppies, shovel at hand.   I've been tippy toeing around my house ever since my morning encounter.  I'm now in automatic scanning mode every second.  I do have a pest service and I filled up every hole I could find.  Honesty, I don't know what else I can do.  It's just too hot to wear my cowboy boots.

Wintertime will be much better as they all go back to hibernation ... or at least I HOPE that's what happens.  I'm not going to let them chase me out!  The Arizona sunsets are just too pretty not to see in person.