Starting the day out with sunny skies in Silverhill, Ann, my current host, is playing a support-vehicle-type role today as she shuttles her daughter an hour out of town to her dad’s house & back. I.e., I’ve only brought my phone, mp3 player, small cam, and 16 oz of water. What more would I need?
As it turns out, a poncho! A very dark, windy storm system suddenly descended from the north. I was (and still am) over a mile from Summerdale, the nearest small town, and as the sky was darkening and winds were rapidly accelerating, I began running. I quickly came upon half a dozen scattered homes. Brain switched into survival mode, I was scanning each home for potential shelter (imagine the sudden knock on the door amid the roar of thunder). Most homes were a minute or more removed from the rural road. Plastic garbage cans staged aside the pavement, if the system were suddenly to turn the shower faucet on full blast, I’d not hesitate to pour out all trash in a flash and create an instant (albeit stinky) mini-shelter from any serious storm.
A few steps further, and through a pecan orchard ahead on the left, I spied what appeared to be a small series of greenhouses. I ran closer, and as conditions were intensifying, I wasted no time kicking up dirt through the trees, straight to the greenhouses. Each greenhouse featured only a flimsy roof; none had any walls. Nearby was the covered concrete platform outside of a mid-size barn, heavy equipment all around. This was the safest/sturdiest and closest shelter to be found, and I’ve been here for over an hour now. Rain began within minutes, and though it only reached soak-you-in-three-minutes intensity (fiercest storms soak you in three seconds), I’ve been out of the lightning and sheltered from whatever it was to deal me. And I’ve remained out of sight from the surrounding homes…
So much for the 14-mile day, lol.