Yesterday, 3:00 p.m. at the store, the wind suddenly kicked up viciously. Shopping carts (empty and some with groceries in them) were rushing all over the parking lot, poles were bending! The store’s doors flew open inward and tons of debris and even a little dog came flying in- then SNAP the power went off. I ran over to get the poodle mix who was shivering just inside the store and a little girl and her mom came rushing in to claim him. It was wild! Using a customer’s cell phone, I called my boss. Her instructions stay open- wait for the power to be restored- well at 6:00 it wasn’t- so I called it a day and left for home.

Shell, bless her heart was freezing when I got home. Cold to the touch, all things keeping her warm shut down. The house was cold-so I took a run to Wal-Mart in the next town and got some of those pocket warmers. I put her into a small carrier with the warmers all around her and draped her with soft bedding wrapped my winter coat around the entire carrier and hoped it would keep her warm. It did, and now it is 4:00 a.m. and the power was just restored. I’ve bumped up the heaters in the bedroom and opened the door of the carrier, and she is warm and toasty with the pocket warmers doing their magic. I don’t think she wants to move.

The rain was coming down in sheets on the way to Wally-world. It was just nuts. I get out my car at the parking lot, the wind is just whipping. I set up my umbrella- and BOOM out of my hands it goes, knocking my glasses off under the car parked next to mine. So here I am, drenched to the skin on my knees in great rivers of rainwater, fishing for my glasses, when they suddenly float past and I grab them. My umbrella? I guess Mary Poppins needed another one- it’s in space by this time! LOL Anyone out there spotting a purple- striped umbrella sailing past their house- that’s mine! Wow what a wild day, but Shell is safe. A bit miffed at confinement, but warm as toast and wondering why in the world, I decided to wake her up at four in the morning.