Thursday, February 7 - Tornado update, and tidbits

Seventeen confirmed tornadoes (seven dead, and maybe more of both once all the data are in -- 3rd worst outbreak in KY history), including one only about half a mile from Old Fort Harrod, about 20 miles north of here as the crow flies! The destruction, while totally tragic where it exists, is not widespread. We went to Danville and the new house today to begin moving and we saw absolutely no sign of anything unusual. But the Mercer County Sheriff's office was patrolling the streets of Harrodsburg 7 miles up the road trying to keep sightseers away from the torn-up grandstand at the county fairground, and the now roof-less elementary school.

OK, some geography. We live about where the bottom yellow cell is above the "T" in "Tornado". See the nasty red-orange little cell just at the KY/TN border above the second "0" in 2008? THAT was the killer cell that hit Nashville, Jackson, and several other TN towns before crossing into KY and killing 4 in Allen County. It passed just east of here, and Barry and I were watching the lightning from it. Dumb Yankees, I'm sure people around here would call us -- and so would Maureen for sure -- but until the sirens went off, we weren't in any danger, so we watched the light show all around us. And again, I reiterate, major cities lost power, yet here in the woods beyond the hills over the knobs in the outback, our lights only flickered, slightly, a couple of times!

Most of the schools around here and to the north and east are closed, some having been closed since Tuesday. Flu has hit with a vengeance -- attendance is below 85% in some, thus making them "failing schools" according to NCLB. Plus the tornadoes (schools and churches seem hardest hit), localized flash floods, widespread power outages, etc., will mean kids down here will be going to school INTO June! And that's almost unheard of. One county out east has already lost 10 or 11 days, and "winter" isn't over for another month what with ice in February and March. Those kids will be going to school as long as Oakland kids are! And here they started between Aug 5 and 12 for the most part!

Check the NOAA weather page from Feb 5-6 to see what was experienced here in Kentucky that night. Look in particular at Hardin County (Elizabethtown) where there was massive damage at the high school, Muhlenberg County (home of the Everly Brothers -- remember them?, 3 killed there) and Allen County (where 4 were killed).

But also find the article on the 11-month-old toddler whose mother was one of several killed in Castilian Springs, TN; after rescuers had already combed the field once, he was found ALIVE 150 yards from the house by a rescue worker who thought he was a doll blown out of the house. They're calling him the "Miracle Baby" -- a story to bring tears for sure.

On another bright note, Barry and I began the move today, as I had said earlier. The water and electricity at Alum Springs are now in our name, and the phone will be tomorrow. Internet will take a few days though, so we're not closing anything out here in Butchertown until the last possible minute.

Barry will also be ordering some Fraser Fir trees -- like a Southern version of Maine's Balsam Fir, 'cause Maine trees probably wouldn't grow here. We have quite decided what will be going in the garden -- peas, chard, lettuce and spinach should go in soon but we don't want to rush things too much.

There's potentially some good news on the house sale back in Maine, but I will post no details so as to avoid jinxing the deal. I've become "gun-shy" about telling everyone all the good news only to have it turn out bad, so y'all are going to have to wait!

Time to think about bed. Moving more stuff to Alum Springs tomorrow, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, etc., you get the drill!