Monday, April 21, 2008

Spring in the South...

After dinner we rolled ourselves out to the back porch where a small but growing super cell, like a mid 1800's Man o' War, was making a south easterly doldrum voyage across the fading sky. I watched mainmast after mainmast build to unbelievable heights only to get flattened out at the top by the prevailing winds. Spreading into gigantic sails to catch the wind and pull the vessel on into the fray. But the billions of icy crystals continued to congeal into massive angry columns as the warm Gulf breezes pushed the humid air into the frigid atmosphere.

As the sun took its leave over the horizon even at 50,000 feet, the columns were still grasping for the last shreds of energy for the ensuing battle with the night. The cyclopean white cauliflower heads turn pink, darkening to an indignant red, finally succombing to choleric azure. As the sky darkened, from below decks, the Galleons cannons began to fire as lightening reached white hot bony fingers out into the night, stealing away the darkness if only for a second. We are too far away to hear the massive thunderous echoes, but the firefight is nonetheless a respiratory thief.

The Royals are running here and there trying desperately to see and catch a small toad that has wondered into the Kingdom. Their happy screams are rewarded by HRHTDP finally nabbing the bewildered intruder. They all run to show us their quarry as he desperately leaps to freedom.

The cows begin their nightly circle to eat a last bite of ever greening fescue out in the pasture before bedding down. The calves jumping and kicking in a familiar sight of our own nightly routine.

Wild turkeys circle one another down at the convergence of cow path and treeline still vying for the affections of the hens, clucking in the fold of the meadow. Spring tree frogs strike up their serenade, greeting the coming night in beautiful harmonic melody with the lonesome call of the Whipporwills buried deep in the stand of blackjacks and undergrowth. The peacocks down the road throw one last insult at the turkeys...

Spring in the South whispers a gentle moist breeze that floats over the skin like cool fresh water after a hot day. I sit back, take a deep breath...

and the Vernal Galleon fires a long cannonade into the blackness...

10 comments:

Junk Diva said...

And all is well in the kingdom tonight.

Randy and I spent some time on our porchswing tonight, it is a wonderful, peaceful night

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed reading your account of the oncoming storm. Your discription made it all come to life.

Course of Perfection said...

And I thought you was city folks...

Inquiries said...

Wow Jay! Great post! Wonderful description of everything! WOW!

Bag Blog said...

You paint a beautiful picture with your words.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piper said...

Diva: Ahhhh...an evening on the porchswing with your honey...do it get any more Dixie? Mmmm mmm...

Anon: Glad you enjoyed it...i sure did.

Jewels: Well...i wouldn't exactly call this The Triple Creek but it does have its advantages.

I2: On occasion, when the mood hits...i cook in other ways.

MamaLou: Well shoot ma'am...comin' from a bona fide, genuwine arteest lak yerself...i'll take'er. Thankya, thankya.

Anonymous said...

... most excellent....

Eric

Buck said...

Good stuff, Jay. Takes me back to Former Happy Days when TSMP and I would sit in the swing under one of our oaks and watch the sky roil in springtime... in Oklahoma.

Anonymous said...

As far as Oklahoma is concerned, storm season(all of Spring and early Summer) is my fav...cause I like to watch! I hit golf balls around the "yard" last night w/Logan...all-the-while watching your poetic cloud-bank.

Moondoggie

The Friendly Neighborhood Piper said...

Thanks E, again, glad to be of service.

Uncle Buck: i guess i missed it somewhere that you lived here. Glad it spirited you there.

Dawg: Yeah, definitely on the watching part! Nothing like seeing a giant dark blue/green whirlpool overhead to get the blood running hot!