last night's storm...

we had these ball clouds come over before the front line...

and things are green with hail there in the middle...

the radar had 2 shades of red and it was a big area...

and we sat and watched it come...

hitting the second town west and then the next town west of us...

and it was darker than any storm I had ever seen...

and it had tornadoes popping out of it left and right...

golf ball size hail...

and 70 mph straight line winds...

and it kept getting closer and the sirens went off...

and then all of the red turned yellow on the radar...

and just as the winds were coming in...

you could hear it...

it slowed down...

like it hit a wall...

a wall of angels...

for I had prayed for protection...

and you were praying, too...

and we were passed over...

and the angels kept us safe...

and God lifted the storm...

but 8 miles north...

in the town where DH works...

woke up  to this this morning...

and this...

a 3 block section of town was hit...

we are so blessed today to have our homes, our town and our loved ones...

we have had tornadoes before...

70 mph winds before...

hail, rain and all the awesomeness and power in those storms...

but last night's was the most intense and eerie I have ever been through...

it pushed the clouds down to where it was like a fog...

you could feel the moisture and the pressure changes...

the birds were making so much noise right before it hit...

and you could feel the power and force of it from a distance...

and it was coming right at us...

and the line was the length of the state...

so there was no where to go...

and all we could do was sit and watch it come...

not one thing in the yard was touched...

nothing blown over...

nothing...

a miracle happened here last night...

and we saw it...

sometimes miracles are not always things that happen...

but things that don't happen...

and this morning, we found someone displaced by the storms...

a critter lost...

that sought shelter under our shed for the night...

safe and unharmed...

just like us...

and it has made it's way back to where ever it came...

it just needed a place for the night...

Bless your hearts for keeping us in your prayers...

prayer is the most powerful thing God gave us...

and it works..

White Wednesday...

39 lashes...

40 minus 1...

because 40 lashes would kill a man...

so he endured 39...

remember the first Easter...

and His love for you...

thank you, Father...

for your Son...

we are ok...

the line that went through had 70 mph winds and tonadoes...

when it got here...

it was not bad at all...

we were ready, prayed for protection...

and prayers were answered...

there are several people in towns west of here where people are trapped in rubble...

keep them in your prayers tonight...

we still have more rain and thunderstorms moving through...

but God kept us safe...

thank you for your prayers!

pray for us...

there are 3 tornadoes on the ground 2 counties west of here...

should be here within the hour...

another photo tip...

rainy days make the best photos...

just make sure you clean off your lens often...

and hold your camera face down when not in use...

the colors are more vivid when wet...

and take photos of ordinary things...

like rain drops in puddles...

and plants that don't know where they belong...

weathered things look better wet...

greens are greener...

take above shots...

groupings...

through shots...

the focus is on the new green leaves...

but keep in mind the back ground...

reflections in a bird bath...

hold your camera above your head and see what happens...

no, these are 3 of the same shot...

the camera focused on the pedestal...

this time on the tulip...

and I got water droplets...

and then this one...

same subject matter...

3 totally different views...

and look for the absence of color...

I love rain...

I love walking in it...

not as much as when I was younger...

but I still love it...

that's why we are putting a roof on the deck...

so I can sit out in the rain...

so the next time you have a rainy day...

grab your camera and coat...

and take a walk...

a slow paced walk...

and show me what you find...