June 24, 2015 (by Angela)

WOW! We got a wild and wicked surprise last night when an angry storm cell filled with rough wind gusts seemed to develop out of nowhere; it certainly was not forecasted.  Luckily, we had not yet gone to sleep. Jim and I, on opposite sides of the RV, said to each other at almost the exact same moment, “Is that wind and rain?!”

Opening the door, we quickly saw and heard that a major storm was upon us. Hustling, Jim undone the awning anchoring, unlocked the arms, and I retracted the awning. If no storms or winds of significance are forecasted, we leave the awning out and anchored as it helps block so much of the heat from the sun off the 5th Wheel and provides a shelter from light rain showers.

I’m so thankful we were able to get the awning in because the wild wind gusts and wicked thunder and lightening-filled storm bellowed for hours.

When we opened the door and headed out this morning, we saw leaves and small twigs all over the campground; water was standing in many areas, including grassy ones. The site across the road from us had a third of a big, beautiful tree split off and fall, luckily not hitting the RV at the site or the RV in the site next to it; it fell between the two.

Split tree

Mac, our yard macaw, and our beach ball were both MIA. After much searching, both were recovered and are now back at home.

Mac was found by another camper who knew him to be ours and was returned

Mac and Ball back home again

It was a wild and wicked night of wind, but all is well except for the poor tree and the poor birds nesting in it.