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Post by FrostyTurnip on May 7, 2024 10:33:07 GMT -6
I hit “reply” and as I began to type the local sirens went off. I ran to the door to confirm that the skies are clear. They’re testing them. The sirens are newly replaced. It’s a reminder that Nader season is not over yet.
Ryan Hall reported that the entire east side of Barnsdall, Oklahoma is wiped out.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on May 7, 2024 13:39:00 GMT -6
I sure glad everyone is alright. I worried about you guys out there in the middle part of Oklahoma as I heard Hennesey, Barnsdall, Bartlesville, and everyone in between were being rousted out by tornadoes.
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Post by macmex on May 20, 2024 5:49:33 GMT -6
May 20, 2024 (Today) Jerreth and I were awakened at 3:45 am by rushing, swirling winds, lightening and several very loud crashes. Honestly, it felt like we were about to embark on a journey to find the Wizard of Oz. Looking at the weather map we realized that there was lots of heavy weather heading our way, so we got up and I started chores early. I needed to evaluate the condition of the animals anyway.
When I opened the kitchen door to head outside, I found such a pile of fallen tree limbs that I almost couldn't get through it. After that, and until I can clear things up with a chainsaw, we'll be going in and out through our back door. Some of the fallen limbs are as big around as my thigh, some even larger.
When i got back to our kid pen, behind the house, I found a very very large fallen limb over top the pen. Amazingly, it's somehow suspended so as not to cause serious damage to the pen. The kid in the pen is our buckling, who broke his leg Friday. We've spend all weekend splinting and re-splinting his leg. At first, in the dark, I couldn't find him. Then, finally, I found him placidly standing under the limb and eating leaves from it! I tossed him his forage and opted to do more after work, when I can see. I need to see both where that limb came from and if there are any more hanging in the branches above. At the time, it was too dark to see. I couldn't even figure out where the largest limb came from. It might be the top portion of an entire tree.
I honestly think that was a small twister. Praise God for protection!
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Post by macmex on May 20, 2024 5:57:02 GMT -6
Jerreth just took some photos by daylight. Here's a shot of the back of our house.
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Post by amyinowasso on May 20, 2024 10:14:45 GMT -6
We got that storm at 2:30. A lot of people without power this morning. I wondered about people further east. And I wondered about Bon. My kids in Stillwater were ok and so were my brothers in OKC. But the one in Mustang had a close call. I hope you only have tree damage.
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Post by chrysanthemum on May 20, 2024 19:37:22 GMT -6
Macmex, I’m very thankful that you and your family and your livestock are okay. Please stay safe as you clean up.
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Post by woodeye on May 21, 2024 4:07:50 GMT -6
I was fortunate once again during the storms night before last, no wind or hail here, just rainfall of about one inch.
Sorry to hear about the storm damage you incurred, macmex.
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Post by woodeye on May 22, 2024 8:38:33 GMT -6
More wet weather this morning but no storm damage here. One half inch rainfall according to my tin can weather station. I'll set out the sweet potato slips as soon as the garden is dry enough, the Iron Curtain is tilled and ready for plants and seeds...
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Post by FrostyTurnip on May 22, 2024 11:24:40 GMT -6
Praise Yah for the minimal damage! Amazing when a tree that could crush a house doesn’t do much damage. I pray for your safety in its removal and clean up work.
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Post by macmex on May 23, 2024 5:53:55 GMT -6
I've put in some hours on clean up, first cutting a path to every place we needed to get. Little by little I'm cleaning up the rest. We'll have a huge burn pile of Box elder branches. The leaves and seeds are toxic to herbivores, so I must burn them as soon as they're dry enough.
Examining more closely, just where these large trunks came from and where they ended up, I'm pretty sure that there was a passing tornado which must have been quite a bit above ground level. It simply touched down at tree top level, right at our home. The largest trunks are from way up high on the trees. In one case a tree was literally ripped in half, the top half touching down and embedding itself in the ground like a spear before being picked up and tossed across the pen were we have an injured goat kid. I never could find where the trunk stuck into the ground, nor could I exactly figure out how such a large truck could lay across the pen without completely crushing it. Apparently the side limbs held it up enough to avoid this catastrophe.
When I removed that limb I was extra careful, cutting off every heavy piece I could before I messed with anything that might cause instability. Our little goat, who is extraordinarily calm by nature, only showed his stress by hiding on the other side of his shelter while I did this work. He has a badly broken leg. We can't afford to take him to a vet, yet he is very important to us. He's our new herd sire, whom we purchased in March and bottle fed until May. We had another kid with the same injury some years ago. Back then, we could take it to the vet, who fashioned a special splint for this very very difficult break. (It's in a place which is extremely difficult to stabilize.) When that kid no longer needed the splint we kept the hardware... just in case. Who'd have thought?!
Anyway, Chippy the kid is learning now how to get up, lay down and walk with a very cumbersome splint. I hang his forage at just the right level so he doesn't have to try to reach high for it, nor get up and down off the ground while eating.
The tornado apparently came down just at our house, acted like a huge weed eater on the tree tops and then... the Lord sent it back up and away. It left no trail of destruction coming or going. There could have been no warning.
Here's a photo of the mast for my ham radio antennas. I had to clear a lot of debris to get to it. It's made of pretty heavy metal and was bent at a joint. The metal was simply twisted as if it were a soda straw. We hope to try to get the antennas back up this weekend. We'll see.
God is good. He is always good, whether we be delivered from the storm by it's being deflected or else by being taken home to be with Him. At this point, I'm planning to stick around a while, but The Lord knows best.
The stress of this last week has been heavy. Along with the storm our daughter, who lives on the homestead, has had to make three ER visits and an ambulance ride along with abdominal surgery. Besides feeling a bit agitated at times, we notice the stress because we're ready for bed by 7 pm, drop into bed and sleep until our regular alarm goes off.
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Post by woodeye on May 23, 2024 6:45:59 GMT -6
Excellent report, macmex . I'm sorry for all the happenings you have gone through lately, and very hopeful that everything will take a turn for the better soon.
I see that the horses made it through the twister okay, but sorry about your injured kid goat.
I've been wondering if Emily is doing well now, I hope she is fully recovered soon.
It's not a time to think about working with the chainsaw mill, but if there are any Boxelder logs that are salvageable they would be an awesome project for you and Jerreth later on. Very beautiful wood, exotic in appearance, very expensive and hard to come by.
Anyway, please work safe, I'm very thankful that you and your family were not injured in the storm...
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Post by macmex on May 23, 2024 9:18:16 GMT -6
Emily appears to be stabilizing. Thank you for praying. I'll tell Jerreth about the box elder wood. That will cheer her up quite a bit!
When the kid broke his leg it about did me in. When one literally cares for animals as a shepherd, there is a strong bond. Now that he's showing hopeful signs of recovery I'm greatly relieved.
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Post by FrostyTurnip on May 23, 2024 16:49:18 GMT -6
“I never could find where the trunk stuck into the ground, nor could I exactly figure out how such a large truck could lay across the pen without completely crushing it. Apparently the side limbs held it up enough to avoid this catastrophe.“
I’ve had many such unexplainable ‘near catastrophes’. I look up and say, “I see watcha did there, Yah. Thank you so much.”
That kid is in very capable hands. Praying for ya’ll and Emily.
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Post by FrostyTurnip on May 24, 2024 19:02:50 GMT -6
Looks like we’ve more storms coming in.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on May 25, 2024 0:28:14 GMT -6
I don't know what took 4 days for me to see this string of posts? Wow! George, you guys have had a tough, tough, week there!
Even if I had known, I'm afraid I'd not been of much help though, I took a bad step last Saturday evening (May 18th) and broke my ankle. (I can relate to that poor little goat). Still, if I had read this post sooner I would have tried to be of some moral support.
I'm sure glad to hear that Emily is getting better. I'm also really happy to hear that you and most of your belongings are still in fair condition. It sure could have been worse.
Thank you, God, for looking out for our friends!
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