Got scared silly last night..

[C.Ann]

I don't know what it is about night time that always makes things worse, but it does.. Scarier than usual - you know?

All day yesterday - and all last night - it was raining to beat the band up here.. It was also windy as all get out - with wind gusts so strong they were beginning to unnerve me.. My crew left around 3 p.m. - I was on the DIS until sometime in the evening - and then I signed off to read.. During that time period - from 3 until I signed off - I could hear branches snapping, breaking, and falling on the ground all around my place, but nothing that really "scared" me.. Just made me a bit uneasy..

Went to bed quite late (wind and rain still whipping around), started to doze off - and CRASH - right on the roof over my head!! I don't think I have ever gotten out of bed - or out of a room - so fast in my entire life!! I thought sure it had crashed right through the roof and was soon going to come through my bedroom ceiling.

I flew out here to the kitchen/living area - plopped down in my recliner - turned on the big light - and just sat for a couple of minutes.. I was so scared it was making me sick to my stomach.. My heart was going a mile a minute.. I wasn't sure what to do.. Going outside didn't seem like a very good option - and it was so dark, even with a flashlight I wouldn't have been able to see up on the roof..

Thought about what my Dson-in-law would tell me to do and figured he would say:

(1) Look in the bedroom from the doorway and see if any water is coming in..

(2) Sleep in the kitchen/living area on the pull-out single size sofa bed until it was daylight and I could venture outside to see if there was any damage..

So - that's what I did.. Was still very windy and rainy today, but when there was a break in the rain, I dashed outside to see what was what.. Sure enough, a big tree branch (from my neighbors tree) was lying on the roof right over my bedroom.. There were other branches and leaves all over my property - on my stairs and porch landing - sheesh - looked like there was a hurricane out there..

I don't "think" there's any damage on the roof (at least there hasn't been any water coming in - so that's a good sign) - but I'm sure my Dson-in-law will get up there and check it out when they come back again..

I could never live where hurricanes and tornadoes are common.. I don't scare all that easily, but I thought I was going to have a heart attack last night.. Yikes!!

Things are quiet now - and I sure hope they stay that way!!!!!

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

Oh my goodness you're lucky that tree didn't come right through! You're a brave woman! I don't mind being alone, but it sounds like you live in the woods and that would scare the heck out of me on a "dark and stormy night". lol

 

[tiggger1]

YIKES!!!

I had a scare like that the other night. I heard a noise and thought it was one of the kids getting up and then the next thing I know was a huge clap of thunder. it sounded like a plane crashed into my house. The whole house shook and my dd7 woke up screaming She ending up sleeping with us because she was so scared and I am petrified of thunderstorms at night! I barely slept even though the storm didnt hit us after that one clap!.. Thankfully it didn't traumatize her too much! Last year we had a drunk driver take out the telephone pole in front of our house and landed about 5 feet from her window and when the pole fell it pulled the electrical box off the house which was about 1 foot from her bed!!. The sound was horrifying and she had nightmares and didnt sleep in her room for at least 3 months!!!

 

[4nana]

Oh my, I'm glad you're ok. I know how frightening that can be, as we live in the country in a wooded area and quite often things fall on the roof or trees blow down. A couple yrs ago the very first C'mas tree we ever had here and planted 30 yrs ago, blew over in a storm. It was about 40 ft tall and luckily just the top of the white pine tree hit our roof and DH was able to make the minor repairs.

C.Ann, I've always thought you're a very brave lady to stay at the lake house by yourself ....I could never do it . I've never considered myself needy, but admit not liking to stay alone at night out here in the country. When DH goes out of town occasionally, thankfully one of the grands will volunteer to stay.

Take care and hope this weird weather pattern the country's having settles soon.

 

[Nolcrest]

It must have been terribly frightening and I'm glad to hear there isn't any major damage. The rain & wind was crazy.

 

[SandrA9810]

I am so missing the afternoon and midnight thunderstorms of Florida. I'd love to sit through a hurricane right about now.

It's so weird being here in California. Apparently their rainy season is all winter long. While the land is fertile and great for growing just about anything, there's no rain in the summer. It's the central valley area, which supposedly hundreds of years ago used to be a huge lake between the two mountain ranges.

I love a good thunderstorm to curl up with a book or take a nap. It's a nice refresh time.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Oh goodness, so glad YOU and your house are alright!

I'll tell you, I think a tree falling through my house is up there as far as things that scare the crap out of me!

 

[C.Ann]

I don't mind being alone, but it sounds like you live in the woods and that would scare the heck out of me on a "dark and stormy night". lol

Well - sort of.. I'm in the mountains - and while I do have a few neighbors, they are seasonal neighbors (because of the lake).. I have one neighbor who built a year-round home here a few years ago, but she's rarely home.. I've been coming here for 59 years now - the majority of those years without electric, running water, or a telephone - but for the most part, it doesn't scare me at all.. This incident was the exception to the rule..

C.Ann, I've always thought you're a very brave lady to stay at the lake house by yourself ....I could never do it .

Then you really wouldn't like what happened a couple of weeks ago - LOL.. It was on the weekend - DD and her family were in their travel trailer down on my extra lot.. About 3:30 in the morning someone knocked on my door - very loud.. It woke me up, but I didn't get out of bed.. I knew that if it was anyone in my family - or any of the neighbors - they would know enough to call out and identify themselves.. I have a phone right next to my bed (to call 911), so I just waited.. Whoever it was just turned around and walked back down the steps off into the night when I didn't respond or answer the door..

We still don't know who it was - maybe someone who was looking for someone else - but at least I had the good sense not to call out or answer the door.. Still - even that didn't scare me to the degree that the "crash" on my roof did..

When you've done this as long as I have, you find you're not as fearful..

 

[snapppyd]

How scary, glad everything turned out alright!

 

[RadioFanatic]

Whatever happened to the crazy lady up there who bugged you all the time?

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Well - sort of.. I'm in the mountains - and while I do have a few neighbors, they are seasonal neighbors (because of the lake).. I have one neighbor who built a year-round home here a few years ago, but she's rarely home.. I've been coming here for 59 years now - the majority of those years without electric, running water, or a telephone - but for the most part, it doesn't scare me at all.. This incident was the exception to the rule..



Then you really wouldn't like what happened a couple of weeks ago - LOL.. It was on the weekend - DD and her family were in their travel trailer down on my extra lot.. About 3:30 in the morning someone knocked on my door - very loud.. It woke me up, but I didn't get out of bed.. I knew that if it was anyone in my family - or any of the neighbors - they would know enough to call out and identify themselves.. I have a phone right next to my bed (to call 911), so I just waited.. Whoever it was just turned around and walked back down the steps off into the night when I didn't respond or answer the door..

We still don't know who it was - maybe someone who was looking for someone else - but at least I had the good sense not to call out or answer the door.. Still - even that didn't scare me to the degree that the "crash" on my roof did..

When you've done this as long as I have, you find you're not as fearful..

After that last incident of knocking in the middle of the night, I never would have gone back again. You are truly a brave woman to stay up there in such a secluded area. Some people find that peaceful, I find that terrifying. I'm a city girl. Give me traffic, sirens, street lights and I'm happy. Take me out in the dark and I'm a scared little kid all over again. I especially don't like that people can see in your home at night, but you can't see out. Glad you're okay C.Ann!

 

[C.Ann]

Whatever happened to the crazy lady up there who bugged you all the time?

She's been up here quite a few times - and will be coming again soon.. However, she burned so many bridges behind her last year with her crazy antics, no one bothers with her anymore..

The last time I had a conversation with her was last fall - when I returned the key to her place that her DH had given me and made it crystal clear that I wanted nothing at all to do with her and would no longer be involved in - or tolerate - any of her drama..

Haven't you noticed? It's been blissfully peaceful up here ever since I arrived way back in April..

I only wish I had done it sooner.. It's nice to be able to enoy this place - the way it was meant to be..

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

Are you sure you aren't Amish? LOL Doing so well with no electricity and running water sounds like you may have some Amish in your blood!

 

[RadioFanatic]

She's been up here quite a few times - and will be coming again soon.. However, she burned so many bridges behind her last year with her crazy antics, no one bothers with her anymore..

The last time I had a conversation with her was last fall - when I returned the key to her place that her DH had given me and made it crystal clear that I wanted nothing at all to do with her and would no longer be involved in - or tolerate - any of her drama..

Haven't you noticed? It's been blissfully peaceful up here ever since I arrived way back in April..

I only wish I had done it sooner.. It's nice to be able to enoy this place - the way it was meant to be..

I did notice! Good for you for doing that!

 

[C.Ann]

Are you sure you aren't Amish? LOL Doing so well with no electricity and running water sounds like you may have some Amish in your blood!

Oops! I must have worded that wrong.. I do have electric, running water, and a phone now - but I didn't up until 1985..

Sometimes I actually miss those days.. Using the kerosene lanterns; cooking on the kerosene stove (or outside on our charcoal cook-out stove); keeping our food in the ice box (getting ice blocks from a ice house 3 miles away); hauling water; washing clothes by hand and hanging them outside to dry; entertaining my kids on rainy days with board games, playing "school", arts & crafts; my late DH making shadow figures on the wall for the kids; campfires and ghost stories.. "The good old days.."

I've always thought that I would have liked to be a pioneer (maybe I was one in a past life and that's why the above didn't bother me in the least - LOL), but now that I'm researching more and more about the Amish, I can see how they have it much, much easier than the pioneers did - even though us outsiders think they have it so hard..

Thanks for reminding me of those past days.. They're great memories..