Timing Is Everything

Temperatures plummeted while the rain fell yesterday.  Somehow I managed to get barn chores done in the morning during a lull, which was good timing.  The big girls were happy that I left the play yard open for them, and I shut the big door to the chicken coop for the little girls and Nicholas.  But....  I hadn't gotten the fire lit before leaving the house and, believe me, it was cold!  Once chill settles in, it takes forever to get the house warm.  The day was spent huddled in the chair, sipping hot cider, piling on dog and cats, and heating the "bean bag" to thaw frozen fingers.  Going out at eventide, the wind had a wicked bite and I was glad I'd put on a watch cap instead of the ball cap I'd worn in the morning.  By dark, the warmth of the wood stove finally kicked in, and then Craig and Deb informed me there was a tornado warning approaching the east up the Hwy. 16 corridor (they'd thought at first it was Hwy. 50, which is closer to me).  Oh crum.  My first thought in high winds is for the trees.  While there have been a few sightings in past years, tornadoes are unusual in California and people are certainly not prepared for such events.  Watching the news, it seemed that by 6:30 the storm had blown itself out after going through Rancho Murrieta and we were in the clear.  Heavy rain continued to fall all night, and snow fell at elevations just a little up the hill.

As it's been a whole year since I've had to worry about such things, I'd forgotten about banking the wood stove at night.  Not wanting a frigid repeat, I did just that at bedtime.  This morning (36 degrees), it was only necessary to throw a couple of logs into the coals to get the fire started.  Timing is everything.