Mr. Weather, take your tornados and go!

When I first moved to Tennessee in the summer of my seventeenth year, oh about some 8 years ago (don't add that!), I got off the plane and was like what is this? Humidity? Ugh! It was so hot & sticky I could smell myself. See, I had grown up in Northern California where the worst we got was a whole lotta fog and beautiful (I mean just gorgeous!) sunsets. We didn't have "seasons," mostly months of rain, then months of sun. But in Tennessee, the seasons are distinct. In the summer, it is HOT and sunny. And often when the atmosphere gets just so darn hot and heavy with humidity, there are sudden, sticky rainfalls throughout the summer season. But even the rain sometimes can't alleviate the dank hot. The fall is a gorgeous time. Three words: red, yellow, orange. A girl can really dress up cute in sweaters, leggings, scarves, and crocheted hats. In the winter time, a heavy frost fills the air, one you can feel nipping at your poofy feather-down jacket if you are sitting on the front porch. Because Chattanooga is part of a valley, there are dustings of snow but not major enough to call for a snow day (never got to experience a snow day as a student in TN). Spring is full of wildflowers and silver rain. And then in May it starts to get sweltering hot again. Mr. Weather, the weatherman in the sky, was pretty consistent back then.

But this year (indeed the past couple of years) the weather has been changing. Drastically. The Tennessee weather I came to grow accustomed to has turned into craziness. Friends have had almost a week of snow days this school year. What was so often just a dusting of snow around Christmas time turned into this:



My first white Christmas!



There was even enough snow to make my first snowman. Ain't he cute?

I have to say, the snow was awesome. My mama and I had so much fun playing in it. December 2010 was pretty amazing. Mr. Weather did all right there. But when I was in Chatt-town in February, my father and I were driving in the truck when the city got hit by a crazy tornado. We were driving to the airport for my return flight to Los Angeles (not surprising I didn't get on the plane that day). Trees were uprooted, a few roofs had been blown off. The street on which we were driving became a blinding silver, and we were forced to stop the vehicle in the middle of a major road for all of the pelting rain and hail. I felt as though I had for five minutes inside that truck been through a war of cannonfire there was so much water. But that experience, as scary and amazing as it was for me, does not compare to what's been happening the last couple of days:

So, Mr. Weather, what's going on with you?! Tornados ripping up infrastructure. Power lines down for over 24 hours. Trees uprooted all around town. Students forced to study for final exams by candlelight and head lamps (my best friend is too funny!). People hiding in closets & bathrooms. Hail the size of fists.

Photo stolen from my aunt(-in-law, well not quite yet but pretty much ;)

Ay yai yai!! When Mr. Weather throws down, it's scary. Like this:

In my mind Mr. Weather looks like a Giga Lakitu.
(Photo from mariowiki)

I am just deeply grateful to the Lord that my friends and family in Hamilton County are safe (without power maybe, but safe). May all of the people and families affected by the tornadoes ravaging the South find solace in God's divine will. And may the government help in the rebuilding process so that the devastation these storms have caused can be remedied quickly.

And Mr. Weather, take your dark cloud & go!