Lightening strikes and the dead grass goes up!

Last night I was in the kitchen (mashing a banana for a PB and B sandwich) when a HUGE, I mean house shaking HUGE thunder booms. It literally made me jump and the boys came tearing down the hall. It was shortly after 10 pm (which is our normal bedtime). The "plan" was to have the kids in bed by normal time bc I had several things I wanted to accomplish before I went to bed. Well that was MY "plan" anyway. I kept having this nagging feeling...I can't place it, but it was weird that's for sure. The boys had checked out a batman movie at the library and it wasn't quite over, so I told myself (at 10pm) - I'll just let them fin

ish it. Well I know now that was God's hand on us. When that boom shook the house I went to open the back door and see the storm - about that time four little feet came tearing through the kitchen door "Mom did you hear that"? I notice the recycle bin is sitting there and think "Well that is going to blow all over the yard". So I step out to grab it and Bug steps out behind me to pet the dogs (who are freaking out and trying to fit themselves through the tiny holes in the screen door). At that moment a gigantic, I mean 1000 feet long bolt of lightening strikes a tree in the field behind us (well at the time it looked like it was in the immediate field behind us). And Woosh...it's flames - big ones - there is no rain at this point and of course like every field in Texas this one is huge and filled with fire fuel - DEAD grass. Bug is standing there eyes huge and says it's on fire. I grab his shoulders and say go get your pants. (They were both in their undies). They rush in the house in front of me to get pants. I go find the phone and call 911 - then we rush out. All the while trying to call Hubby (who I find out later was at the juvenile detention center and didn't have his phone on him - they aren't allowed to carry them in. Hubby of course was at work and his Sargent had called him and asked him to cover one of his extra jobs, so he was supposed to work even later than usual. :/ I end up calling his brother to ask him to call Hubby over and over until he answers. Then I take my cell to the car (where the kids and the dogs are and give Bug the same instructions. I moved the car facing out of the driveway and run to the neighbors and to tell them. The boys are in a panic and we leave the driveway. About this time it's starts raining - big rain - cold, huge drenching drops. Needless to say I was a completely wet by the time I made it to the car. After coming back from the neighbors I looked across the back field and it looked as if the orange of the fire was all gone (PTL) but I could see huge smoke every time the sky lit up and I could see the firetruck lights. I ran to the car. Bug was so scared and wanted to leave the house so badly that we did - we slowly (through driving rain) drove into town and then very very slowly back out toward our house (we live about 20 minutes from town). As I was driving away from the house I finally got Hubby on the phone - who is in a panic himself and trying to get back to the station and his car. What a night! Needless to say after our 10:30 drive to town, we got back to the house and all was quiet. Bug was so freaked out that he wouldn't get out of the car so I went in and called Hubby again. I ended up driving the boys along the road that borders the pasture behind our house so they could see there was no fire. We were able to see the firetrucks still out there, but no fire, Thank Goodness. We also came across a huge tree that had fallen across the road.

As we were driving, Red fell asleep - poor kid - I think that adrenaline rush left him and he just couldn't go any further. When we got back home we unloaded began to the little dogs. Sadie had taken refuge in Bug's booster seat - crazy girl and Scamp was pretty much in Bug's lap. The rain had dwindled to practically nothing by this point. I took Sadie in first and went back for Scamp. Bug had put his leash on and helped get him into the gate.

Lady Bug squished in the front floorboard.

Well as we enter the gate I hear Sadie bark ont the porch and look up to see a precious Armadillo guy sniffing around. Well Scamp had to join the fun of course and they were barking and trying to sniff the creature. About this time Red wakes up and comes through the gate. As he steps onto the porch the armadillo is running his way and the two pretty much collide...it was quite funny as Red (half asleep) doesn't know what is going on and the poor armadillo, well he was just beside himself. So he ends up over by the fence running back and forth as the dogs are barking and trying to figure out what in the world it is. Then I remember Lady (the German Shepherd), who had been laying across the front floor board was stuck and patiently waiting - poor gal - had to help her wiggle her way out. Of course she had to come check it out to. He ended up under the box hedge by the fence digging a hole. It was quite funny b/c the dogs would go up to sniff him and he'd throw dirt in their face. LOL

I love this pic - "Hey Mom, what's that thing?"

Sadie: "Hold on I'll check it out". Scamp: "Girl you better be careful it looks vicious!"

Here he is digging - but there is a concrete slab right here (not to mention the limestone just beneath the surface - so he didn't get far.

Below you will see the smoke (barely) and the cows high-tailing it to the other end of the pasture - the next day. Ugh...here we go again! A field in the same general direction caught fire the next afternoon. We walked outside to see huge clouds of black smoke rising. Not again! Hubby was home (TYL) so he ran to alert the neighbors and I shooed the boys inside so I'd know where they were. It was a large grass fire and several surrounding fire depts. responded - thank goodness they got it under control and stayed with it all night.

By the time I actually got to the picture taking the smoke had diminished quite a bit, but you can still see the black haze above the cows.

Two fires in one weekend - crazy stuff. Thank You Lord for keeping us safe.