Have I Mentioned It's A Bit Windy?

Hello, all. Just a teeny smidgeon of sarcasm, there, with the title. Welcome to Spring in the Midsouth. Talk about your extremes! Monday morning we had frost, then a high of 80 degrees. All the while, and every day since, the wind has been blowing a moderate gale. It hit 87 degrees yesterday, and it's 85 as I type this at 3:00 in the afternoon. Partly cloudy and gorgeous, if it wasn't so dang Windy! Too windy to fish or much of anything else constructive outside. Forget hanging clothes on the line, unless you want to have to 1. Unscrew them from the clothesline with a cordless drill, or, 2. Chase them across the neighborhood till they snag on a bush, or, 3. Have to wash them again and start all over because most of the farmland in these parts is airborne at the moment. Imagine bringing in "clean" clothes that are dirtier than when you put them in the washing machine to begin with. There is no problem telling where the farmers are working in the fields right now. The dust clouds can be seen for miles. That's when they're not blowing in huge clouds across the highways and roads. In the past we have had some deadly pileups and wrecks in the brown-outs from all the dirt and dust in the air. It's pretty dry right now, too, and that is not helping matters in the least.

Notice the beautiful photo of the clematis? My handsome, suave, talented BIL Johnny snapped that pic yesterday of my sister, zztop's clematis vine. He had just watered it (did I mention it's dry around here?) and I love the way the droplets sparkle and glow on the petals. It looks professional, doesn't it? I asked permission to use it on here, and told him I would give him proper credit for using it.

Irma, her boyfriend ChrisTopher (nicknamed Topher from now on) and I went riding around last night. They didn't have school today because it's Good Friday, so we just rode around with the windows down, listening to the radio, CD's and enjoying the warm spring night and the full moon. We had a great time, and covered some new ground. We drove through some places I've heard of and seen on the map, but never been before. Of course, it was dark, even with the full moon, so we didn't see much. Saw a lot of critters, though, including a fox, several possums, some cats, and something we couldn't decide if it was a cat or a dog, so we called it a "cog".

We started out on the twisty-turny-hilly road to Poinsett Lake. Family, you know the one I'm talking about. I think it's called Dawson Road, now. Irma has always loved hills and curves, even as a baby. We would take her driving on Hwy. 141 to Walcott just to watch her giggle, almost until she lost her breath. She loved it as a baby and kid, and she is still a thrill-seeker now at 18 years old. You know that feeling when you top a hill with a sudden drop on the other side? The feeling like you left your stomach at the top as you're already accelerating down? We call it either "tickling your tummy" or "turning your stomach over". She absolutely loves that feeling, and she rides all the "terror" rides she can get access to. I like rollercoasters, and that is about as adventurous as I get. She rides all the big rides at the theme parks, bungee jumps when she can, and wants to sky dive. Just thinking about it sets off all my "Mama Alarms". I don't worry over much of anything I have no control over, and I don't sit and dwell on those things, but taking unnecessary risks in search of a thrill does concern me. I'm learning to let go and remember she is in God's hands, but if I know she is doing something risky, my heart skips a beat.....or several. Sorry, unavoidable Mama thing, there. I can't help it, it's bred into my genes to be concerned about the safety of my kid. See, I even said, "be concerned", not "worry about". I'm showing improvement, aren't I? Hey, just agree with me, here, okay? Encourage me, already! LOL :-)

From Poinsett Lake, we went through Vanndale, and on to Levesque, then to Parkin and Earle. From there to Marion. We came out behind the new regional rail yard there. Ahhhh..........the unforgettable scent of diesel fumes wafting in the warm breeze through the open windows, and the captivating view of forty-leven locomotives ethereally glowing by the light of the magical, mystical full moon........ Now...... Imagine a buzz saw hard at work in the back seat. Also imagine you've got to pee like a Russian racehorse. (I've have often wondered.......Why does a Russian racehorse have to pee any worse than your common, ordinary, everyday, run-of-the-mill racehorse? I'm just askin', here.....) Also imagine you kind of know where you're at, but not exactly how to make the interchange to get on the interstate where you WILL know where you're at. Imagine making some sudden executive decisions at almost 70 mph in an effort to make that interchange. Imagine the buzz saw in the back seat coming up out of the backseat swinging when Irma deliberately swerves onto the rumble strip on the side of the road. Imagine it's 2 am and everything is absolutely hilarious. Imagine how you feel with a FULL BLADDER and everything is absolutely hilarious. Yeah. Feel my pain. We had a grand time, but about all I remember about the last 30 minutes or so was, "Man, do I have to PEE!"

Was that a redneck evening, or what? I loved it, and I will remember it fondly. I needed it, too. What with yesterday being the anniversary of Mama's death, I was all over the register, emotionally. It really helped just to get out of the house and take my mind off everything for a while. I want to thank EVERYONE who left such beautiful comments about yesterday's tribute to Mama, and for your sweet words. I am still overwhelmed by the love and thoughtfulness that went into your words, and I appreciate them so much. Thank you, sweet family and friends. Thank you to all my new friends who have commented lately, too. Like Connie and Rob from Missouri, Sue from California, (not my sister, Sue) Paulette from Texas, and Jenny from Roatan. Jenny is in the links on my sidebar, and I visit her often, but this is the first time she has commented here. I hope I haven't missed anyone. If I did, it was purely an oversight, not a slight to anyone. I am thrilled with all my blogger friends. It's like we have our own little online community here. I don't know how I got by without my internet and my blogging up till now. I just got online in November of 2005, and started blogging the last of January this year, but it seems like I've been blogging forever, and that some of us have been friends for a long time.

Blogger family and friends, You are the absolute best. God Bless you and yours. Happy Easter to everyone.