5/25/2011
When you look at a clear blue sky you’d never think of a tornado. But, the weather is funny and clouds can move pretty quickly. I discovered this on today’s run. A huge shadow overtook me and blocked out my sun. The giant clouds weren’t the billow white ones that look like cotton candy. Oh no, They were dark and they obscured the view of the horizon. I was blessed to have arrived at Sullivan early becuase the weather turned violent on the drop of a dime.
A light rain greeted me upon my arrival and lasted all of five minutes. When it stopped I was torn between heading to St. Clair or stay put. I was partial to making a dash for it because I was restless and it was still early. St. Clair would have been another fourteen miles away and something was telling me to stay put. I decided to grab some fast food at the Sonic drive in. I rolled my stroller to a table next to a mom with her kids. She thought I had a baby in there and warned me of tornadoes on the way. (I wonder how many people think I’m pushing a baby on the streets. They must think I’m a lunatic. Although I guess that might not be too far from the truth.) I thanked her for the warning and gave the kids my book. I’m lucky there are more waiting for me in St. Louis because I’m pretty much out.
The employees at Sonic invited me to sit in their freezer if the tornado hit. With that offer, I ate my food quickly and rolled towards shelter. I didn’t want to be stuck in a freezer although I did appreciate the kindness. The moment I found myself under a roof, the sirens began to sound. Buckets of water began to fall. Hail pelted the ground. Lights went up because everything went dark. But those lights hardly helped. The wind swirled and the streets were cleared. It lasted for about twenty minutes then it began to lighten. While the light rain fell, I made a dash for the hotel. I figured the day was done and that I should stay in. Surely there was no way I could continue running. The minute I paid for the hotel room, the rain stopped. The sun came out as quickly as the clouds rolled in and there hasn’t been a hint of rain since. Hmmmm. Well, I guess it’s better safe than sorry.
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