Disclaimer: Before you read this, please understand that no disrespect is intended toward those who have been adversely affected by bad weather, and I'm sure if I had lost possessions or people because of the weather I would have a different opinion. In fact, I did lose a brother-in-law, niece, and nephew in an accident in a snowstorm several years ago. Nevertheless. . .
I love me some bad
weather. (I'm not an English teacher any more, okay?) Rain, fog, clouds, snow, sleet,
thunderstorms, you name it, I prefer bad weather over sunny days any time. And yes, I am serious. This coming from the girl who stayed indoors
at age 6 when the whole family was outdoors all day. It was too windy. I hate the wind. Correction.
I don't like being out in the wind.
I don't mind a good howling wind if I can stay inside.
When stormy weather is forecast I get almost as giddy as the
meteorologists on the local news stations.
I said, almost. I really love
thunderstorms. I will open my front door
and stand behind the storm door to watch the lightning play across the sky. We are fortunate enough where I live to be
able to see the horizon, unhidden by trees or buildings. I will watch the cloud bank of an approaching
cold front creep its way toward us. Even
when there are severe weather warnings I enjoy watching the lightning, thunder,
and rain from the storm door.
I even have a hard time staying in the bathroom, which is our safe room, during a
tornado warning. I will usher my two dogs
inside our guest bathroom because it is an inner room with no windows, and I will
try and wait patiently for the threat to go away. I keep my cell phone handy to check radar and
receive weather updates, but inevitably in a few minutes I am sticking my head
out the door or leaving altogether to watch weather updates on TV. Of course, then the dogs run out and I have
to corral them again. Wouldn't the
smartest thing be to remain in the safe room until the threat passed? My son says he does the same thing. He wants to know what's going on, at the risk
of getting caught out in it.
Granted, since I live in East Texas where the weather is almost tropical most of the time, I have no experience with severe snowstorms, but I do love the occasional ice storm. The world
becomes still and quiet and resplendent with icicles hanging from eaves, tree
branches coated with ice frosting, and the ground completely white. When I wake up after an ice or snow storm,
the world is eerily quiet. I relish
getting outdoors as the snow or sleet is falling, even though it is too cold to
stay out for long. Again, as an East Texan, I am not used to freezing temperatures or frozen precipitation. . .
. . .which reminds me of icy roads that Texas drivers have no
business driving on. Texans go a little
nuts when it snows or ices over. We all
rush to the grocery store, thinking we have to stock up on food, and we either refuse
to slow down on the roads or creep along so slowly everyone else risks their
lives to get around us. Still, I love a
good ice or snow storm. It transforms
everything and slows life down for a day or two.
You can have your sunny days. I prefer the mystery, awe, and excitement of bad
weather.
XOXO
Labels: bad weather, ice, ice storm, inclement weather, snow, tornado
