Tornadoes

There's a reason this part of the country is known as “Tornado Alley.” Sleep was interrupted as massive thunderstorms rolled in. My in-laws have a place in the basement for waiting out tornadoes. We stayed there until 2 a. m. when we got the all clear from the weather service.

We were fine, but homes in neighboring counties were badly damaged. Fortunately, no one was hurt. That's the main thing.

A few days ago I was talking to a guy at the Hot Springs campground. He was from upstate New York and terrified of tornadoes. He was ready to drive back to NY at the first hint of tornadoes. I wonder how he made out?

Do I worry about tornadoes? Only a little. Every area has it's dangers. Some places have earthquakes. Other places have hurricanes. My home area has bitter cold and blizzards. If you were terrified about every little thing that could go wrong you'd never leave your cave.

So when traveling it's a good idea to have a good idea what the local conditions are like, then plan accordingly. Don't stress about it, but have some situational awareness.

I'm not too worried about stuff. If my van is destroyed in a twister, but I'm not in it at the time, no worries -even though I've only got liability insurance on it. Having almost lost all my physical possessions one time has given me perspective. It's the people who you love that matter.

The weather is supposed to clear up so I'll be enjoying myself on the lake.

-Sixbears