I LOVE the Mississippi River and so do the rest of my pals, and MOST of the time it is a quietly beautiful, peaceful...graceful place. Nicknamed the Big Muddy
and aptly so for most of its 2300+ mi stretch north to south from
Minnesota to Louisiana.
Minnesota to Louisiana.
But summer brings not only a
huge increase in ship and boat traffic to the Mighty river but storms too.
huge increase in ship and boat traffic to the Mighty river but storms too.
Often BIG storms especially here in the Bootheel region of southern Missouri.
Those of us who call this place home have for the most part gotten used to these hellbenders, but every once in a while,
the severity of one will catch all but
the most senior veterans
of these storms by surprise.
the severity of one will catch all but
the most senior veterans
of these storms by surprise.
The story begins as one of these supercell monsters begins developing to the west of RiverFront Commons out toward the Ozarks, and begins somewhat early on to appear run-of-the-mill ordinary as these things go, but then early-to-mid evening this thing took off very unexpectedly and therein lies the tale.
Storms bring an eerie disquiet,
often severe enough and LOUD enough
to cause a lot of unease amongst the residents along the rivers' banks. This night that would turn out to be a
GROSS understatement.
often severe enough and LOUD enough
to cause a lot of unease amongst the residents along the rivers' banks. This night that would turn out to be a
GROSS understatement.
I am not always the first to sense trouble brewing (sometimes it's Elke or Rose or Ofelia), but tonight I was...
although the rest were not far behind.
although the rest were not far behind.
When I heard from Rico, I could tell he
felt uneasy too but we are both
so stubborn we weren't gonna let on
how we felt.
Least not yet.
felt uneasy too but we are both
so stubborn we weren't gonna let on
how we felt.
Least not yet.
The regulars as I call them, or THE REDNECK MAFIA as Rose laughingly refers to us nitwits, had gathered at our place as usual with more arriving as the evening wore on and I like to think it was because we all sensed something, a foreboding maybe. A harbinger, perhaps. God knows we have been through this enough to see and feel the signs...
Or maybe we just like to be together and laugh and act like fools, and eat like a bunch of religious zealots coming off
a 60 day fast.
Or maybe we just like to be together and laugh and act like fools, and eat like a bunch of religious zealots coming off
a 60 day fast.
In any event, here we were...with the whizbanger of a storm bearing down.
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