Good Doctor, Bad Weather

I went to the doctor with Kara today over in Dallas. It was a good visit. The doctor is quite pleased with Kara's progress, as are the rest of us. She has gained 40(!) pounds in the last month or so, (up from a way-too-scary 74) and is able to eat significantly more foods than in a long, long time.

Kara will be coming home for keeps on Saturday. We are all very excited. There are still projects that need to be done, but she did so well on her trial visit last week that we've decided she can move home with the house as-is. Having her home should hopefully make finding time to finish the projects much easier.

This would have been the most noteworthy part of the day, if it weren't for the tornado warning and severe thunderstorm that tracked through our little town.

I was driving home when the warning was announced on the radio. The forecasters predicted the tornado would pass through our town a good fifteen minutes before Carly's estimate of our arrival.

The girls were across the street at the neighbor's, and while I was sure they would be fine I also knew they would be very worried. Large black clouds loomed ahead as I hurried home, although I didn't hit any rain until a mile before my exit. There was talk on the radio of tennis- to baseball-sized hail, and as I pulled off the freeway the car got pounded, although I don't think I was hit by anything larger than a golf ball (as displayed by Anna below).

I toyed with the idea of pulling into the shelter of the gas station on the corner, but that was everyone else's idea, too. I figured I could get beat up just as well in my own driveway as anywhere else, so I continued on up to the house.

The hail died down as I got closer to home, and it was clear that the little ice balls had fallen much more heavily in our neighborhood than what I experienced just off the freeway. I pulled into the driveway, ran into the garage, and checked to make sure the Miracle Door (which was leaning against the outside of the house) was still OK.

Water flowed through the yard and down the street as I grabbed an umbrella and ran to the neighbors to reassure the girls. We came home about twenty minutes later, where we warmed up with cocoa and cooled down with ice cream.

Comments

Josi said…
Yikes--that sounds horrible. Honestly, I've never seen hail that big, is your car all dented up?
Don said…
Our car is hardly what you would call a "pristine machine," so it's hard to tell if the little dents happened last night or before. There is a little pit in the windshield I don't recognize, though.

I was about a mile south of the house when the hail hit, and it was much, much worse at the house. The neighbor was just showing my the dents and cracked windshield on his truck.

All the plants lost half their leaves, but I think they should bounce back OK.
Josi said…
Well, if weather like that is common, it's a good reason to never own a pristine car. Glad you survived unscathed and that things are going so well with your wife. Best of luck.
Autumn Ables said…
Yeah! Kara is home!!! I am so excited and happy for your family, Don! I hate to say it but I am so thrilled she gained 40 pounds, too! If it were me I'd flip out- but for Kara that is just awesome.

Holy crow- that's what you call real hail. SHEESH! I have never seen any hail so big in my lifetime. What a cool thing to witness {as long as your safe} and I'm glad your family is alright. :)
Tristi Pinkston said…
I'm so glad to hear that Kara's gaining some weight and doing well. You must be over the moon.

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