A severe weather system is sweeping across the south, sparking violent tornadoes from Alabama to Kentucky. While I was making lunch, I learned there was a tornado watch and later warning for our area. One tornado had already touched down in the town not far from the marina. We gobbled our lunch, packed some of our stuff and seeked shelter at the tunnel that leads to the old dam (the safest place at the marina). After last year’s storm, we take these warnings seriously. Within a half hour, winds churned violently above us, followed by heavy rain and hail. In 5 minutes or less, it was gone. It moved to the northside of the marina, tearing up the roof and a finger pier on 1 dock, moving the breakwater (containers that were strung together?) and overturning an RV before destroying trees along its path up the hill.
Here are some pictures of the damages, taken around 2 p.m.:
We hid behind the blue door that leads to the tunnel of the old lock and dam
Breakwater on the northside of the old lock moved from its original location
Warped roof at the end of A Dock
Finger pier sitting on Shelley's aft, at the end of A Dock
Overturned RV at the campground
Tornadoes are scary in that you never know where it's going to hit. All you can do is find some place safe to hide. The problem is when it comes through at night, where do you hide on a boat? Let's hope it'll die down before dark so we can all have a good night's sleep. Stay safe, y'all!
A couple of weeks ago, we took a walk up the hill and were delighted to see daffodils bursting with bright yellow colors scattered around the hillside. A few days later, the temperature dropped to below freezing, followed by heavy rain. Then the last two days, we were rocked by 10-20 mph winds. Seeing white caps on the river, I can't help but think of the tornado that roared through here almost a year ago. Freezing temperatures, heavy rain and strong winds would not stop the daffodils from announcing its presence. Spring must be around the corner.
Last spring, we drove to Boston for a wedding. Along the way, we stopped in Washington, D.C. to see some friends. Our timing couldn't have been more perfect, as it was also the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Festival. We grabbed the opportunity to spend a day walking around the Tidal Basin to view the magnificent cherry blossoms. It was cold but totally worth it. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C. from the mayor of Tokyo. So if you're thinking of visiting our nation's capital to see the Cherry Blossom Festival, make your plans now. This year's festival starts on March 20th.
We won't be in Washington, D.C. to view the cherry blossoms, but we'll be in Birmingham this Sunday. We will surely stop by the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which incidentally is free to the public. Hopefully, the cherry trees will be blooming in the Japanese Garden. Here are some pictures we took when we visited one fall season.
