Even Backyard Farmers Need a Break

Keith has been breaking his back on the new henhouse, but today was our first T Bones game, so we called it quits at 3, did chores, cleaned up, and off we went to Granite City to use a gift certificate Keith got when a waiter spilled a bowl of soup on him a few weeks ago!  It was nice not to have to cook, and we finished our dinners and went the two blocks to Community America Ballpark to watch our first game of our eight Saturday night package for the season.

If you remember, last year we had Friday tickets, and we had one tornado and two severe thunderstorms rain us out!   We switched to Saturday for the fireworks and the fact we didn't have to rush after work to get there by gametime.

The T Bones were playing the Grand Prairie Airhogs.  There is a Naval Air station in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Keith happened to be stationed there when we were married (at the joint installation).  When we left, I left the juveniles in their pen, it was a balmy afternoon, and they were having such a good time I didn't want to lock them up early in the rabbit hutch.  Of course, I fretted through the game, but here are some shots of our great time.... when we left at the bottom of the eighth, we had had a lightening show for all innings, but no rain.  We think the fireworks were rained out, though, because it is raining now, and blowing hard, and we did not see them from our porch. The TBones were ahead 6 to 2 as we were leaving, so we can safely assume our team won!

Here we are going in for the first game:

We got our same seats as last year, behind home plate.

We got there early enough that the Airhogs were still having batting practice. 

Notice how sunny it is, the day was beautiful.

Within an hour, it started to cloud up... the Yoder Curse was active again, (laughing).

Here are the colors being trooped by the cub scouts, and the children's choir from Christa McAuliffe grade school sang the anthem great!

And then it was "Play ball!"

Please note ominous clouds.

And here we are, cleaned up pretty good!

As I said, we left at the top of the 8th, and a good thing, as the storm hit us as we got home. All the juveniles were in their cat carrier I leave in the pen with them, but they were JUST crammed in.  We got them safely into the big henhouse and into the rabbit hutch and nursing cage, turned the lights out, and came in as the rain started.  Keith, who works for the state in emergency management, began monitoring his state radio on the emergency channels, to find that a tornado has hit the small towns of Quenemo and Reading (a large tornado) and was headed to Baldwin City, a college town with old buldings and lovely streets.  He is listening to the radio talk but does not think he will be going until tomorrow, as his boss is on the way there now.  We are praying that no one in these little towns was killed.  We actually had bid on a property down near Quenemo at one point, when it looked like Keith was going to be given that region.

Keith was just in to say that there was a tornado WARNING while we were at the game here in our own county, with the sirens going for almost an hour, but the all clear has been sounded, and I'm going to go to bed while he monitors what's happening. 

  I was unable to post to Farm Friend Friday last night, and I continue to have problems with Blogger.  I had trouble getting  the font to re-size, nor center for the first three paragraphs.  It is very discouraging, because I love blogging and have been advised several times to go to Wordpress and leave Blogger.  I have been happy here so hope I don't have to do that! 

I recently upgraded to IE 9, and it seems like the problems started then... but Blogger is also "saving" literally 3 to 4 times a minute.... and it takes me forever to re-size now!

ARGGHHHHHH