Prairie Storm

What fearful thunderstorms we used to have in Canada and how I suffered with fright when the elements seemed determined to tear the earth apart. George used to laugh at my fears and fright, but once or twice he was plenty frightened himself. One day we were coming home from town, when a storm broke just as we were entering the raving between our place and Sam Cullums, west of our place, and was it terrific' I had you, Irma, on my lap. George was driving. We had old black Dick, a beautiful horse, and really I believe old Dick was frightened too. He shivered and shook. Chain lightning seemed to be coming down all around us. We stopped the horse and waited until the fury of the storm had passed. I have seen the electricity sparkle across the top of the stove many times during these storms, believe it or not.

The first big storm we experienced (thunder, lightning and hail) after we were married occurred one sultry afternoon. George was plowing, using two oxen and a walking plow, the furrow was one half mile long and he had just come back from the farther end when the sky to the west was black-was ink. The wind had dropped and everything was breathlessly quiet, a sure sign something was going to break! I begged George to get the oxen in the stable and stay with me, but no! He was going to make another round come hell or high water! So, he started back up the break to the other end of the land. Well, he just got up the half mile stretch and was turning the oxen around to come back, when the storm broke in all its fury! The oxen started on the run for the shelter. George had the lines around his waist, the oxen dragging him and the walking plow; they going on the dead run, George trying to hang onto the plow! Thunder, rain, hail, lightning and wind all combining to do their worst. George's back was black and blue for days from the hailstones pelting him all the way down that half mile. I was in the house, or shack, all that time crying my eyes out The wind blew the windows out and everything was in a fearful mess with water and even hail all over the floor. But the storm passed, the sun came out, and a lark -- a meadowlark -- raised its voice in a burst of beautiful song -- all was well with the world.

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