Crazy weather again!

I know, I'm talking about the weather again, but holy smoke the weather is crazy here! We have had the most glorious 'winter'; I write it like that because this year we seem to have gone from autumn straight in to spring.  Since the Boxing day storms (http://taff-to-texas.blogspot.com/2015/12/tornado-in-dallas.html) it has barely rained, and has been warm, up in the 70's and 80's, we've been walking around in shorts and t-shirts. However, storms are once again in the forecast for this week.

I set out for a walk with Bess this morning, we walk along a wooded trail which offers some protection from the elements, both rain and shine. As it was overcast but with no wind or rain and only a 30% chance of a storm, I decided to take my chances. Ten minutes in to our walk it starts to rumble with thunder and there were a few spots of rain so I turned around and headed back. With the lightning flashing and the rain getting heavier I picked up to a jog. As I reached my garden gate there was an enormous crack of thunder right overhead and I saw a bolt of lightning just behind our neighbours house, before I reached the back door there was another. A minute after we get inside the weather has gone mental: the wind picked up to gale-force, the thunder was deafening and the lightning was flashing constantly. In the few minutes it took me to towel down the soggy dog (who doesn't seem to give two hoots about storms) the wind has picked up our 14ft trampoline and thrown it across the garden. I can't believe we're not under tornado warning, but I went and sat in the downstairs bathroom anyway. Twenty minutes later the wind has died and all is still, bar the thunder, lightning and rain.

The storm rages

By mid-afternoon the sun is out and the kids come home from school to discover the storm's casualty. They phone and text their friends as if there has been a bereavement in the family. Personally I'm just thankful I got home in the nick of time and wasn't out in it. I just can't get over how quickly it can change and become so extreme.

Dai & Dylan survived the storm, but the daffs took quite a
battering, and they looked so good
http://taff-to-texas.blogspot.com/2016/03/st-davids-day.html