I was looking forward to seeing the Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse on Sunday night but a storm blew in instead. I've never seen anything like this storm. There was a non stop lightning show lighting up the sky through the window. Ol' grandpa was somehow fast asleep during the entire storm. So, me and the dogs watched the light show when suddenly a white swirling cloud of water hit the bedroom windows, covering the night lights beyond. As debris and water began hitting the windows, we couldn't hear much else other than the occasional booming thunder that didn't seem to keep up with the amount of lightning. It was wild to say the least!! After about an hour or so, the storm subsided to a shower. The electricity went out at some point. Thankfully, it was restored before the sun came up.
We lost about ten huge oak trees. Some of them were very old and some were literally twisted, and others were broken in half at mid trunk! It's the strangest thing, I'm still boggled by how it happened. Even as an insurance adjuster for 14 years, I never saw anything like this and I saw some pretty astonishing damage caused by tornados and hurricanes. It must have been some weird tornadic disturbance to say the least. The damage seems very random and indiscriminate, yet isolated, if that makes any sense! How does it happen to twist an 80 foot tree in half, yet just a few feet away there are two little okra seedlings sitting in a pot on the patio table undisturbed.
In spite of all that, I am, we are so very greatful there was no serious damage to us or our home. Well, the roof lost some shingles but that's it.
Just a few feet from the patio, this picture doesn't do justice to the size of this tree that was standing about 70 feet high.
Or this 80 footer with a massive trunk that was broken in two, like a stick! Can you see that big vine draped across? lol! I think it's Virginia Creeper.
The other half still standing.
This big old tree was taken down at the roots! For reference, those trees in the background are over 100 feet tall. This same tree was hit by lightning a couple of years ago. You can see where that half was sawed off.
Anyhow, now we're doing clean up of all the debris (Well, I'm taking a break). Grandpa's on the roof repairing shingles and the dogs are laying inside enjoying the AC. The cat's taking his usual afternoon nap.
There's a lot more activity at the hummingbird feeders since the storm. I don't think they blew in since the storm came from the northwest but I don't know. It's strange times.
The Chitalpa tree is blooming for them.
Which reminds me to mention about the sugar. We've been mainly buying the same store brand of sugar for several years BUT this year it no longer says "pure cane sugar" anywhere on the bag. I know it used to because I still have a bag left from last year and it's right there. Now even on the ingredients it just says "sugar". I examined the bag because there were so few hummingbirds here and I wondered if there was something wrong with the nectar I was making them... that might very well be why some of them moved on. They won't touch beet sugar. But no telling what they are calling sugar these days.
Which now brings up a little rant of mine:
I remember last year going to the store to pick up some cokes because the kids were coming to visit. I was shocked when I looked at the label to discover it's now made with high fructose corn syrup! I checked further and saw that nearly all of the soft-drinks are now made with that crap. I asked my son and daughter-in-law when they started making soft drinks with high fructose corn syrup. They asked "what's that". So sad! People don't even know what they're putting in their bodies anymore! It's like one of the worst things to put in your body!! Causing so many health issues! I mean sugar is bad for you but that stuff is worse! That probably explains why both of them have become overweight over the past few years. That and canola oil. Two of the worst things to put in your body and they're probably having both every single day!
I told them to check out this article about "The (Not-So) Hidden Dangers of Canola Oil"
https://www.swansonvitamins.co...
Okay, that's enough rant for one day. I could go on and on...and I probably will again another time.
I should plant those two little okra plants today. 
Now that the storm rearranged the view from our bedroom window, I could see the moon more clearly last night. It had a beautiful rainbow surrounding it. I should have gotten up to take a picture but no, I didn't.
The black bellied whistling ducks enjoying the view.
Going to cook. I harvested the mustard greens. I noticed some beetles had shown up so I'm beating them to eating those greens. HA!
Japanese Giant Red
Wasabina
Psalm 25:4 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.
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