Hell on Wheels
It was an emotional day, complicated by news from Luca that the cockatiels haven't been doing well at his place. Susie has become very aggressive and takes it out on Tubby, who seems lost and depressed. Just before leaving home, I had called and emailed Jeanne, my favorite bird-sitter for advice and help, but it appeared she was gone for the weekend.
Ginnie and I closed up the house at 8:30 and stopped for final coffee and goodies at the Liberty Cafe. The pastry selection was thin, so I ate chocolate mint gelato for breakfast, which I deserved to do.
We adjusted to driving a 26' truck with the bug trailered behind--no sudden moves! As we drove through Iowa, cool, cloudy weather gave way to heat and humidity.
I checked in with Luca, who confirmed my fears that the birds were not making the adjustment, so I had Gauss contact the Twin Cities Parrot Rescue organization to see about some foster care. Knowing that something was being done eased my mind somewhat.
After eating dinner just west of Omaha, we continued driving toward Lincoln, our intended stop for the night. Dark clouds loomed ahead, and suddenly the freeway ahead of us was a sea of brake lights. Virtually every vehicle had pulled off to the side of the road as a swirling, brown cloud swept toward us, horizontal rain pelting the windshield. It looked just like a scene from the movie Twister. We half expected to see a Holstein cow go flying by. Our big truck shook, and we contemplated getting out to lie in the ditch--standard advice for surviving a tornado if you're in a vehicle. For about five minutes, we were terrified.
After about five minutes, the wind subsided a bit, and people slowly started moving again. We took the first exit and drove a short distance to a gas station. As I opened my door to get out, the wind whipped it out of my hand. I managed to slam it shut and Ginnie and I ran for the shelter of the convenience station. We waited there with other travelers for about half an hour, and the sky cleared. I fueled up the truck ($150 a tank) and we drove just a few miles on until we found a Hampton Inn.
Once we parked, however, we noticed that my door wouldn't close. I called Penske, who arranged for a repair service to realign it--it had been pulled out of alignment by that gust of wind at the gas station.
I went inside, where the Weather Channel has been playing nonstop, only to see that a tornado hit the town of Hugo, Minnesota, about 10 miles of the house we just left. I called Linda Weiss back home to ask how everyone was. She said that Dave had been to the house and everything was OK.
The Hampton Inn has been a wonderful, soft place to fall, literally. The beds are cushy, with puffy duvets. I was able to check email, and there was a response from Jeanne, the bird lady, offering to use her network of bird-lovers to find foster homes, at least, for Tubby and Susie until I visit in July and August, when we can make a final decision about where they will live. This has taken a big weight off my shoulders, and after washing off the road and moving grime, I was able to get to bed and sleep.
No pictures for this entry--we've been taking them but have no way to upload them, so that will come later. I am hoping for a BORING drive across Nebraska today!
Ginnie and I closed up the house at 8:30 and stopped for final coffee and goodies at the Liberty Cafe. The pastry selection was thin, so I ate chocolate mint gelato for breakfast, which I deserved to do.
We adjusted to driving a 26' truck with the bug trailered behind--no sudden moves! As we drove through Iowa, cool, cloudy weather gave way to heat and humidity.
I checked in with Luca, who confirmed my fears that the birds were not making the adjustment, so I had Gauss contact the Twin Cities Parrot Rescue organization to see about some foster care. Knowing that something was being done eased my mind somewhat.
After eating dinner just west of Omaha, we continued driving toward Lincoln, our intended stop for the night. Dark clouds loomed ahead, and suddenly the freeway ahead of us was a sea of brake lights. Virtually every vehicle had pulled off to the side of the road as a swirling, brown cloud swept toward us, horizontal rain pelting the windshield. It looked just like a scene from the movie Twister. We half expected to see a Holstein cow go flying by. Our big truck shook, and we contemplated getting out to lie in the ditch--standard advice for surviving a tornado if you're in a vehicle. For about five minutes, we were terrified.
After about five minutes, the wind subsided a bit, and people slowly started moving again. We took the first exit and drove a short distance to a gas station. As I opened my door to get out, the wind whipped it out of my hand. I managed to slam it shut and Ginnie and I ran for the shelter of the convenience station. We waited there with other travelers for about half an hour, and the sky cleared. I fueled up the truck ($150 a tank) and we drove just a few miles on until we found a Hampton Inn.
Once we parked, however, we noticed that my door wouldn't close. I called Penske, who arranged for a repair service to realign it--it had been pulled out of alignment by that gust of wind at the gas station.
I went inside, where the Weather Channel has been playing nonstop, only to see that a tornado hit the town of Hugo, Minnesota, about 10 miles of the house we just left. I called Linda Weiss back home to ask how everyone was. She said that Dave had been to the house and everything was OK.
The Hampton Inn has been a wonderful, soft place to fall, literally. The beds are cushy, with puffy duvets. I was able to check email, and there was a response from Jeanne, the bird lady, offering to use her network of bird-lovers to find foster homes, at least, for Tubby and Susie until I visit in July and August, when we can make a final decision about where they will live. This has taken a big weight off my shoulders, and after washing off the road and moving grime, I was able to get to bed and sleep.
No pictures for this entry--we've been taking them but have no way to upload them, so that will come later. I am hoping for a BORING drive across Nebraska today!
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-Sue N.