The Adventureous Irene

I watched the spider spinning his web. He worked hard weaving in and out making a beautiful design. A fly flew around, wary of the new construction but not getting close enough to become entwined. The crickets hollered from the nearby pond and I watched asthe wind blew up the hill toward the parade of redbuds, dogwoods, and wild cherry trees blooming heartily and the dandelions dotted the mountainside, as did the sweet williams too. It was a warm morning as Poppy cleaned the barn, lifting each pitchfork of hay and shoveling the manure.Chickens clucking, cows mooing and the horse was neighing. I think our visit to the barn was unexpected to the animals and they were letting us know. I helped Poppy push the rusty old wheelbarrow from the barn, and I could not push very much at a time. As the day wore on, Poppy and I took a rest underneath the mulberry tree. I got us a cold drink from the bucket with the dipper. Nothing tasted better as I was getting sweaty.Poppy's shirt was ringing wet and his eyes were looking tired. I looked up to the sky and the clouds were rolling pretty fast and they were darkened. It was a very hot day by now and the wind began to blow the clothes off the clothesline. I started to retrieve them just as a bolt of lightning streaked accross the sky. I was scared and ran to Poppy. Charlie began barking uncontrollable.The thunder rolled and the sky now darkened and the rain could be see coming up the road in torrents. It began to hail.I climbed to the top of the barn as Poppy tried to shut the door. From the barn we could see our house getting a thumping from the hail.My sisters were peering throuh the curtains but hid back when the lightning flashed. We could not o to them now. I hid among the hay bales up the stairs toward the rafters. The guinnies and ducks had taken refuge up there too. It was warm and I could smell the straw and the chicken feed. I covered up with an old coffee sack and closedmy eyes and could still seethe lightning. I think a part of the barn top blew away and the rain began to blow in.. Poppy told me to hold on to his arm as he sat in front of me , warding off the wind and rain. It seemed like forever till it quieted, and then I looked and a lovely rainbow curled over the barn as I went outside..I then looked for the spider whom was spinning his web earlier and at first I could't see him, and then I saw his web, torn apart and drooping. Soon the spider bean to go right back to his work, spinnin again as if nothing had happened. I was thankful for the cool rain though the rest was frightful..Poppy always taught us to take the bitter with the sweet and that that there are things we can not have control of. That belonged to our Maker. Only HE controls the universe, the storms, earthquakes.floods and all of nature's greatness. Back at the house happy sisters opened the door. They had, though, left the window in our bedroom opened and the bed was soaked. Still the day ended with a good note. Poppy and I washed up and I made us a rhubarb pie and I cooked a'mess' of salad greens that Poppy picked earlier. He called them 'fuzzy britches and other funny names. They sure smelled good along with the strips of fresh salted bacon cooked in the beans. Oh, what a surprising day we had, and that is just the way I liked it, never knowing what a day may bring. Poppy sat and smoked his pipe and was content while I brought him a good hot cup of coffee and a big ole piece of rhubarb pie......I gave Poppy a big hug and he patted my head. He said I was his little buddy....and he was my hero.............I am sure you readers have memories of your childhood. You may not write about it as I have, but those memories will always be there for you to think about on a rainy day when the lightning flashes and the Lord shows us who is really the Boss...........................................................GOOD EVENING READERS