STORMY WEATHER

*** Chilli Pepper, Buddy , & I have been playing a real fun game . We played 30 hours non - stop last weekend .

It is a simple game . When you get the signal you run get in the closet . The signal can be a siren or a TV or radio announcement .

You stay in the closet until you get the signal to come out . You are most likely to get the signal to get in the closet between 1 & 4 AM .

You sit in the closet with your knees pulled up to your chest . You sit like that in case the end - game happens . In that case ,you can bend over & kiss your BUTT good - bye.

Just when so many people are coming out of the closet , we seem to be going in .

Going to the storm house was a common event ,growing up in Gibson County .My Dad built the finest storm house around. A concrete square completely underground .

The neighbors would join us to wait out the storm . Attendance was around 10 to 15 . Momma always came at the last minute . She did not like being in the storm house & would wait till the storm was upon us to come .

Here she would come running across the yard like Flo- JO , jumping puddles ,& leaping down the steps just before Daddy closed the door . Her late arrival sometimes caused Daddy to cuss .

There we sat , butt to butt ,on benches around the room . Coal - oil lamps provided the light . Folks would catch each other up on the county news while we waited .

We sometimes stayed in the storm house 3 hours or more . Sometimes we had to dash for the shelter 2 or 3 times a night . You could count on Momma being the first one out .

As country folks say " We were afraid of a cloud."

When anyone voiced concern , Momma would always say " If you was right with the Lord ,you would not be worried . " She was a real Barnabas in times of trouble .

The storm house & Dad are gone now`. But hard as it was it beats getting in the closet.