Comments on: In Our Neck of the Woods

By: Maureen

Maureen — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:48:27 +0000

13 year cicadas are clicking away in the woods and making a racket. Fireflies/lightening bugs are blinking at night at the candles on the porch. There is a heat index of 105 degrees F! I am hidding out in the house except early hours of the morning….It is still May FPS!!!!!

By: Catherine Ristola Bass

Catherine Ristola Bass — Fri, 27 May 2011 03:08:38 +0000

Hey! I’ve been to Ferris–they are from GR.

By: Lynne E.

Lynne E. — Fri, 27 May 2011 02:22:57 +0000

What a beautiful photo of the raindrops on the tabletop! It looks like a work of abstract art. Sure do hope that the Midwest weather calms down soon! It’s been a long time since there was a tornado season like this one.

By: Mary Beth

Mary Beth — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:23:31 +0000

Gotta watch your step with the cicadas! I remember when that happened up in MI. I was bopping along on my tippy toes trying to keep my shoes from getting it. Gross.

I hope the tornadoes stay away from MO too. So sad.

By: Delia

Delia — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:21:54 +0000

I’m from El Reno, Oklahoma. A tornado that killed several people in Calumet, El Reno, Piedmont, and Guthrie missed my parents’ farm by about 1.5 miles.

I guess technology is good and bad, because while I was able to watch the live stream of KWTV in Oklahoma City, the information was almost too terrifying to hear. I almost closed my browser because I just couldn’t take it – I knew exactly what was at those intersections Gary England was calling out, but then one of their storm trackers would talk about a different intersection and road that completely contradicted the others. And, of course, I couldn’t get anybody in El Reno on the phone. Was that because they were in the shelter? Did the cell tower a quarter-mile away go down in the storm? Would _somebody_ please tell me what’s happening before I get in the car and drive down there?!?

After 20 minutes of pacing and screaming, I decided to try different technology: Twitter. So I launched TweetDeck, and there it was – a tweet, less than one minute old, from my brother, giving the ‘all clear’ for my family.

I’ve heard from some childhood friends that their farms and homes and families are safe, but another high school classmate’s home was completely destroyed. I found out about it looking at the photos on the Web site of one of the OKC TV stations. It’s a weird feeling after a tornado – always is, because if you aren’t affected, sometimes you don’t really know what to say to those who were. We’ve dealt with tornado damage before at the farm – three times in my lifetime, several old pecan trees knocked down, barns destroyed, glass in the house blown out – but not total wipeout. This time, the wreckage 1.5 miles down the hill and the highway is different.

No cicadas here yet, though. Maybe the storms scared ‘em off.

By: Sarah/Scienceprincess

Sarah/Scienceprincess — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:10:33 +0000

I love cicadas. In France, they’re considered good luck, and I have a sterling silver cicada necklace bought by my grandmother in France the the 1930s. As a kid, my brothers and I would line up the shells on the side of our porch . . . Good memories for me

Here in CO, we’ve had spells of bad weather, but nothing like you’ve been having in the midwest. Also, no cicadas here

Take care.
Sarah

By: katiedo

katiedo — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:49:55 +0000

The cicadas are so bad here the kids can’t go out & play cause they land on them! My husband SHOVELED the crispy ones off the sidewalks & had to sweep them away from the front door & off the jams so we could get into the house. DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!! You want to see something funny you should watch my d-i-l sprint from her car to our front door so they don’t land on her!

By: nancy

nancy — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:40:12 +0000

I actually like the sound of the cicada in the summer. It won’t be too long before they begin here. I think they kinda sound like we should be in the Twilight Zone. Right now it is the frogs at night that are amusing me. It sounds like a jungle out there after dark. Stay safe.

By: Pam

Pam — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:56:57 +0000

Hi Sheri. When I first experienced that cicada event in Chesterfield, I thought I would die. I had just stretched out in our hammock with a good book, turned to my right to look at the tree trunk and didn’t see that trunk. All I could see were the abandoned shells from the cicadas! Would have much rather seen the baby squirrels sunning their chins on the edge of their hole in the white oak tree.

This is the only thing don’t miss about St. Louis. Everthing else, I miss dearly, including the concretes at Ted Drewes.

BTW, we had terrrible storms the other night and I think we sent you those awful storms. Sorry about that. Hope summer comes quickly leaving the spring storms behind.

By: Dee P.

Dee P. — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:48:31 +0000

Ooh, we went through that cicada stuff out here in PA several years ago. It was horrible. I actually drove to Michigan and spent time there with my brother and family until the cicadas died out. As to the tornadoes, our prayers are with all of you in harm’s way. Praying that this is the end of the terrible storms and that there is no more loss of life. Stay safe!