South Mississippi is getting a lot of rain.
It seems to continually rain, and when it’s not raining…it’s threatening to freeze.
Now normally, I’d not be worrying about a freeze, but we’d had some exceptionally warm weather that coaxed many plants out of their winter dormancy and into the bloom of spring.
Including me. With my spring garden planted and sprouting, I was getting a good case of spring fever. It also meant that I had vulnerable seedlings in those raised beds, and I wasn’t rock solid sure that these seedlings were as hardy as the more established plants would be in a week or two. I didn’t want to lose them, along with the two weeks of growing they already had.
So, we’ frantically covered them all, with just about anything. Cardboard boxes covered some smaller specimens. Sheets draped over either fallen branches or 2x4s protected the beds. The corners, where the sheets didn’t quite make it, were covered with several inches of fluffed up dead leaves, just enough to keep frost off of the seedlings.
We also had a wake up call. About a week ago, a tornado tore through the region, causing damage in Hattiesburg and some surrounding areas. No one was killed, and the injuries were minor, which was a good thing. The bad thing was the amount of damage it caused. It also brought home a very grim fact as we sat and listened to the sirens going off in town around us, sirens we identified as probably just police cars parked in strategic points with their sirens wailing as a warning about a tornado.
We had no where to go. No neighborhood storm shelter, no shelter of our own, and no basement to take shelter in. We quickly assessed the house, but as a raised frame house, it wasn’t a good situation to begin with. I had no desire whatsoever to repeat Dorothy’s story and land on a witch, anywhere. We decided that the safest place was the hallway or the hall closet. It wasn’t perfect, but it was an interior area with as many walls as possible around us.
The tornadoes missed us, but managed to cause quite an effect anyhow. We lost our internet connection, which effectively cut us off from the world, leaving us dependent on the cell phone for any communication for over twenty four hours. We had no idea what was going on around us, and radio reception in the house is virtually nil. Our early warning system for the tornado became the combination of the sirens telling us they were nearby and looking out the window for the first signs of the wind, as well as listening sharply for the telltale roar of the incoming tornado. Crappy system, actually, but I told myself that it gave my great grandparents plenty of warning to get in the cellar. Which sent me back to staring at the hall closet with a lot of gloom again…
Tonight, we were hit with another storm that is supposed to deliver excessive amounts of rain. To qualify as “excessive” in Mississippi is quite an achievement. I’ve lived on the desert where our annual rainfall could arrive in a single day, but even those downpours don’t compare with what can fall here, where we can anticipate six to eight feet of rain a year.
This rain is supposed to cause flooding, as well as present us with the potential for damaging hail. I wonder…would the hail get my seedlings? I don’t know, it depends on a lot of things. We have a lot of large trees, which may afford a small amount of protection. I’ll just cross my fingers. I don’t want to go out in that pouring rain, in the dark, to try and set up something to protect those beds from hail. My radishes are on their own.
The ditches and steep slope down to the streets that I disliked six months ago look a lot better with the excessive rain we’ve had now. It ensures that we stay high and dry, and that our house will still be dry long after our neighbors’ houses have become swimming pools. I’m thankful for that, as I strongly dislike the idea of being flooded after my years of living closer to the coast and incoming tropical storms and hurricanes. Tornadoes aren’t the same kind of threat, although they often accompany the tropical storms.
I’m also very thankful for our roof. We may need to replace the shingles, but for now…we’re snug and dry, even if the roof is past its prime. Now, if only the Ladies of Fate will smile down upon our heads and grant us relief in terms of finances, we can start repairs in earnest. I’m sort of losing faith in those ladies lately though, they seem to have developed some sort of malice towards us.
I wonder, can I sweeten them up with gifts of cookies and a smile?
