The Storm



August 31st dawned a gorgeous summer day.

 





But with little warning dark clouds congealed from the North and crept slowly south towards us.  The picture above was taken facing due South....and while standing in the same place this photo is facing due East showing the transition from beautiful day to not so much.

The old John Deere has weathered many a storm, and it sat nonchalantly on its steel wheels, braced for another one.  Built tough indeed.

Ominous clouds were boiling down from the sky.  I was of course, strangely drawn to them.  It's probably a good thing I wasn't born in Kansas (or anywhere in tornado alley).

 

 

It seems that my youngest niece shares the same fascination.  Here she is walking her little dog and watching the same storm brew that I was....on the same path through the field that I wandered at her  age as well.



 

 

As the clouds began go rumble and the wind picked up, there was a little lightning as well.

 

That seemed to be a good time to follow the niece and the dog back to the house.  Besides, the raindrops were starting to hit the lens.  What I didn't realize at the time was that this storm was going to be the death toll for some of the fields...the 3rd hailstorm of the year, and the one that hit the mustard crops at the critical time when they were mature and ready for harvest....the hail would beat the kernels out of the pods on the plant and leave a field of standing, empty plants.

 

 

But at the time I didn't know that, and enjoyed watching the storm...and the double rainbow that formed afterwards.

 

And of course I loved the opportunity to get this shot.  My dad did his mechanic training in a John Deere dealership when he was younger, so he has always had a soft spot for John Deere equipment.  So I was able to show him this picture and see "See, John Deere even farts rainbows."  It made him smile at least.