So, I was going to post a couple of photos from yesterday’s picnic out by the lake, maybe a bird or two, and chat just a little bit about seeing the new Star Trek movie this afternoon. But, we had severe weather in our area today. Not unusual for Oklahoma; it happens every year. The different thing this time around is that I found out that someone I care about lost her home in the storms today. Her name is Mandi, and I’ve known her since she was a baby when my mom started dating her dad. She’s all grown up now, but no one is ever so grown up that they can possibly know how to deal with such an event. Thankfully, Mandi and her family are safe, but they have lost everything else. It doesn’t seem right to chatter on about such meaningless things as movies and bird watching when she’s experiencing such tragedy. And, of course, she isn’t alone in her loss; lots of people lost their homes today. And at least one person lost their life.
The tornado that cost Mandi her home was not quite as powerful when it went through our town just a mile or two from my house, and it didn’t touch down until it reached the lake, so Norman was mostly spared. We did lose power several hours ago, and my guess is it will be off all night, as such a thing is trivial compared to other needs at the moment. And, the weather folks say tomorrow is likely to be just as active as today. (“Active” is the euphemism they use around here to say there are going to be dangerous storms popping up all over the place.) Whatever type of positive thoughts you are given to, I’d appreciate if you’d send a few of them this way tomorrow, for all of Oklahoma, and especially for Mandi.
This is a picture of the storm that moved through Norman and then further east in a path that included Mandi’s home.
Image courtesy @EverythingWX
