All Hail on Mother's Day!

I didn't know exactly what time my son would arrive to go out to eat today. Turned out, it was after three o'clock. While waiting for him to get here, I was about to lay down and take a nap because it was grey and rainy outside. A thunder storm was approaching, and the tv had lost its signal. Good napping weather.

I never even felt a doze coming on before the sound of heavy drops pounding the roof in a way I had never heard before drew me from the bed. I ran to the front deck. My husband was already outside watching the storm. "Hail!" he called to me. It looked like all hail had broke loose. Literally!

It pelted the pond like tiny bombs, causing a turmoil of splashes in the water, giving the appearance of boiling water. I wondered if the fish felt the impact, and I knew they did. I was sure they had all swam to the bottom of the pond for safety.

The irises, so beautiful only yesterday, the same ones I've been photographing these past two weeks, quickly lost all their blossoms as the icy stones ripped them apart. Their tender broad petals, spread open to the sky, didn't have a chance in hail.  About ten stalks survived only because I cut them yesterday for a vase arrangement. They sit gracefully in my dining room for Mother's Day.

A bed of hail stones between one quarter and one inch soon covered our deck and yard.

My son arrived from a south-easterly direction, while the storm cell was moving north and east, so he missed it entirely. That was very fortunate.

As soon as the hail let up, I had my camera ready to shoot the damage to our flowers, the soft misty steam raising up from the ground and roof, and the white stones covering everything.

I have never seen hail this big at this time of the year!

Regarding the mother's day slideshow I had made earlier this morning:

I didn't have digital photographs of everyone I wanted to include in this tribute. I was unable to find digital photos of my nieces (on my side of the family who have children, who are now mothers in their own right). I didn't have a digital picture of my niece in Connecticut, mom of triplets, nor my niece in Arizona, mother of three boys. My sister-in-law in California is the mother of two grown daughters. The wives of my brothers in Georgia are good moms, too, but alas, no digital pictures of them either, nor of my nephews wives.

I tried to call my mom for Mother's Day, but her cell phone message says her voice mailbox is full. I had sent her a card, so hopefully, that will hold her until I can talk to her on the phone. Long distance relationships are often difficult to maintain. Cell phones don’t always make it any easier. Still, I know that she is okay because she called me a couple of days ago to tell me that she had found a job working for Holiday Inn Express. She has bought a washer and dryer. I'll try to call her again this week.

Steve’s mom has been unavailable by phone today, as well… between going to church, and going out to eat dinner with her kids (I hope someone took her out), and making funeral preparations for her mother, I understand why we can’t reach her today. We had thought about driving to Jonesville tonight and spending the night since Grandma's visitation begins at 10 am tomorrow, but then decided against that due to the care of the dogs. We'll just leave early in the morning, then spend the day with the family tomorrow.

Days like this are when I wish we lived a little closer to our families.