The photo above was made around seven o'clock in the morning last Sunday (April 19th) in the town in Alabama where our daughter and her family live. It was taken in the Piggly-Wiggly parking lot (that's a supermarket chain) two blocks from our daughter's house, looking toward downtown. You can see the steeple of the First Baptist Church in the distance.
Shortly after the photo was taken, all hell (as they say) broke loose. The bottom dropped out. They're now saying it was a "Hailnado" with 80-mph straight-line winds. Not technically a tornado, but it's hard to tell the difference. Many trees and power lines are down and some houses were destroyed. The trees in our daughter's yard lost many limbs and one tree was split down the middle. Several windows in the house were broken from heavy hail, two of the cars were damaged, and the root cellar was flooded with two feet of water because the electric power went out and the sump pump stopped working. As a result, the water heater and furnace will have to be replaced. The repairman can't get the parts he needs until next week. In the meantime, our daughter's family is without electricity and hot water. Neighbors are bringing them food and letting them use their showers.
That was in Alabama. Georgia also has a problem.
Our governor is an idiot.
Brian Kemp, the 83rd governor of Georgia, has decided to re-open our state bit by bit to get the economy going again. Georgia is the first state to attempt this. The problem is that our pandemic statistics have not declined for 14 straight days as the Coronavirus Task Force stated was necessary before a state could begin a slow phasing back to what is now quaintly referred to as normal, something we may not see again for some time.
Not only have 14 days of improvement not occurred, the first establishments allowed to re-open are -- clutch your pearls, ladies -- tattoo parlours, massage parlours, beauty salons, nail salons, and bowling alleys. You know, really essential stuff. How you give a person a tattoo or a massage or a new hairdo or a manicure while maintaining six feet of social distancing between human bodies has yet to be determined.
During the shutdown, people couldn't go to church, but they could still buy liquor.
I repeat, our governor is an idiot.
This is just my opinion, of course, but it probably could be proven scientifically.
Oh wow, that is one scary looking picture. I'm glad that your daughter is ok, but I'm so sorry about the damage. Hope she is able to have electricity restored soon.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Kemp is an idiot. I also think Trump is an idiot. I wonder how many of his followers will be injecting/drinking Lysol or bleach.
Stay safe during all this madness.
Kathy, thank you for your concern. We are all in a heap of hurt nowadays. I long for the day when you will be able to say "Stay mad (as in my lovable loony self) during all this safeness."
DeleteThat's one scary cloud there. Just looking at it gives me the creeps.
ReplyDeleteMaryland is still at a stay-at-home order until May 15. It's a struggle but we're being patient and trying our best to help neighbors out.
Kayni, thank you for commenting and welcome to this blog. I don't think I have seen your name here before. One of my dear friends from years gone by was from Maryland, the town of Crisfield in Somerset COunty on the Delmarva side of Chesapeake Bay. Good to meet another Marylander.
DeleteI am sorry for the destruction that storm wreaked.
ReplyDeleteAnd sorry that your governor is an idiot and may well wreak more destruction than the storm.
Stay safe, stay well.
Sue, thank you for commenting. I fervently hope that all of us stay safe and stay well.
DeleteThose clouds look mean. I'm glad your daughter and her family are basically safe and I hope they get their power back quickly. Yes your governor is an idiot. Unfortunately he's not the only one. I'm hoping for a blue election.
ReplyDeleteEmma Springfield, it's so good to have you back in blogland again. I'm glad that your son and grandson are recovering from their automobile accident. Those are about the meanest clouds I have ever seen. Idiots are in great supply, aren't they?
DeleteI'm very sorry to hear about the damage done to your daughter's place. It's a terrible shock to find most of your stuff destroyed,
ReplyDeleteRed, thank you. Fortunately my daughter's house suffered only a few broken windows and a flooded basement. Others in their community had far worsr damage
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear about the damage to your daughter's home. I hope no one was hurt. I have lived in tornado country all my life and understand well how frightening and damaging they can be.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading about your governor. Georgia has had more than their share of Covid cases and it is hard to see how some of these governors are acting. I hope you and your wife will continue to stay in and be careful. We have a republican governor too and he is anxious to reopen in a little over a week. I think he just wants to please the president. We will continue to stay in and follow common sense recommendations not political ones!
Bonnie, thank you. No one was hurt at their address. A lot of the governors are on the "please the president" train.
DeleteI understand that earlier in the lockdown, Governor Kemp led by example by spending a weekend at his holiday home on St George's Island off the coast of Florida.
ReplyDeleteSorry to learn of your Alabama family's problems but at least they are all alive. And that is surely a blessing.
Neil, if you have to be somewhere, St. George's Island is a wonderful place to be. Yes, my Alabama family are all alive, and it is a blessing.
DeletePerhaps your governor and ours (Jay Inslee) are related, lol. In our state, you can go to the Dollar Store, but not the dentist. You're supposed to wipe all your purchased food items down, but you can get take-out & eat it. NO ONE has broccoli starts or Buff Orpington Pullets and you can go to the liquor store, but not go fishing. Sensible had already gone out of style and I fear that Normal is next....Prayers for your daughter & family! You and Ellie stay safe!!
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you, Pam, and I usually take your dropping by here to comment means that you have posted something new on your own blog, but no luck this time. I'm rambling to avoid having to think about your governor and ours. I for one would not miss broccoli starts but I might miss Buff Orpington Pullets. You and the farmer stay safe too!
DeleteA flooded basement would have a great deal of nuisance value and big storms are scary.
ReplyDeletePeople need their liquor and it keeps them out of trouble. . .or so we were told. It's also good for tax income
There are a lot of dumb people in positions of power
Hey there, kylie, I hope things are improving in Australia covid-virus-wise. I can't get my head around your being told that liquor keeps people out of trouble. Unless they are the fall-asleep type drunks, isn't the opposite demonstrably true almost universally? You have hit upon something with the "good for tax income" observation. Stay well.
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