We Survived the Night

Despite being exhausted after yesterday's 9 hour touring evening full of eating when I got home sleep really was not an urgent thing. Maybe it was due to my nap on the way back, my belly being a little too full, the desire to see my pictures, or the wind.

Yep. The wind.

For some reason it's always very windy in my part of Italy. I'm beginning to think that it's due to my house being on a mountain facing the water with pretty much nothing blocking it. It was insanely windy last night to the point that both Nico and I were paying a little too much attention to every sound we heard.

No. I'm not insane. This wind was so strong that in my sun room (all windows, facing into the wind) were shaking. I almost, just almost, relocated my location but then I realized that the windows blowing out would be a rare (if not near impossible) event.

On my last tour to make sure everything was secure before setting the alarm I looked out on the patio to see two terra-cotta pots smashed against the patio, no longer on their ledge. No, they weren't large ones but just some indication of the wind.

Alarm set (with keys near by should the alarm be triggered by all this wind) we tried to get to sleep. Tried. That oh so fabulous automatic metal shutter on my bedroom window rattles like an angry momma rattlesnake. It was one of those nights that every time I drifted off I heard something that caused me to jump. Little Nico was curled up next to me all night which was somewhat comforting but still- he was even more nervous I think. We were good until the wind started driving the rain (or maybe it was hail) into the metal shutter causing him to jump and run over me. Ouch.

I was happy to hear the rain to start though but still didn't get a very restful night.  And actually for the first time in a very long time I was scared to be in a house alone. Seriously, I was about one major noise from calling home to just talk with them since it was still a decent out there & they got an extra hour last night...

Fast forward to this morning- rain, wind, thunder, lightning, and hail.

Coffee was task #1 on my list. Shoot, at this rate it's going to be task #2 and #3 as well. As I made my way upward to the kitchen, I opened up the shutters to see just what type of day we're working with out there: stormy. While waiting for my coffee to percolate, I went out on the non windy side of the house. By this point, I could feel the thunder every time it blasted and lightning bolts flashed across the gray sky. With the thunder claps practically back to back and my cat MIA I kept looking out the window impressed with the buckets of water on my balcony...until I jumped back because my kitchen was shaking, my ears were ringing after the thunder clap and I saw sparks coming from a roof about 2 blocks away.

Time to step away from door. 

Katie, you survived the wind last night, you've got this. Weren't you just talking about how you love storms?

Um...yeah, but not scary storms that look like they should be in a movie and not in real life. 

Queue hail.

Seriously. I was one of those "hit me with your best shot" moments in which mother nature did just that. By the way, I may have been a little freaked out during all of this but Nico? I still don't know where he went. He came from downstairs when I called him but is only now getting semi comfortable with each thunder clap.

 So there you have it. They weren't kidding when the weather forecast called for rain today. Oh well, I have (more) coffee drinking, homework, cleaning and some cooking to do so assuming I don't fall asleep here on the couch I just may get through that list.