I’m finally back! After a few crazy weeks! I’ve never gone that long without writing. It took me a few days to figure out how to log into my WordPress from the road, mostly because my passwords were buried underneath a ton of stuff in the back of the truck.
And now I’m typing this in the car connected to the Internet. Sending info to space and back from the truck from somewhere around Topeka, KS. Amazing.
We are on our 4th day cross country to the Hemlock Inn. Brett has been driving mostly because I am a disaster with the trailer. It starts swaying when I drive it. The truck even flashed “sway alert” at me a few times. I could drive it all by myself and I’d be fine but something about having people in the car causes stage fright:
I meant to write the past few days but the cell coverage has just been really spotty and then I couldn’t remember my password it had been so long. Then yesterday as I was trying to wrap up a post: TORNADO.
What are the odds that we run into a Tornado?! I kept looking at the doppler and all the weather was way north until a small patch just appeared on the screen suddenly. Like a bad dream. We had just gotten into Kansas and we were relieved that all the bad weather seemed to be north of us. We were in the middle of nowhere, and it was beautiful:
Then somewhere along the way….where there was literally no civilization for miles and miles…I was teaching Boo how to pee on the side of the road…and she burned her bum tailpipe. (of all the places to sit down she sat down against the tailpipe?!) Before we started out again I took a photo of the clouds and sunset behind us:
Slowly, for about an hour, the clouds were starting to rotate and form a wall:
YES I TOOK THIS PHOTO. IT LOOKS LIKE A MOVIE SCENE.
Brett: That looks circular to me.
Me: I think we might be okay. Anyway, if that was a tornado it would be about a category F100. That thing is huge.
But then as I watched it I wasn’t so sure. I crawled across the seats to get a better look of the clouds and what looked like little finger like funnels forming off of it. It looked like we were in front of it and from the animated radar I pulled up on my phone it seemed like we were too.
As we pulled through the small town of Lakin and just as we did the radio started emitting the emergency broadcast signal.
“a tornado has touched down in Lakin”
Me: We are IN Lakin. That is the tornado!
We kept going because there was no place to take shelter but as the road turned north we soon found ourselves in the middle of it. Everything was purple and just like the movie Twister farm debris was moving across the road. It was chaos as we tried to determine the best plan of action. Then suddenly we passed a gas station and it gave us an option. and Brett flipped a u-turn and we headed back.
We pulled into the parking lot with the trailer. The only sign of life was an 18 wheeler with its lights on. I grabbed the dog and Brett grabbed Boo. Boo was so scared she began vomiting all over the pavement. That’s when I snapped this photo:
We left the truck and the trailer in the middle of the parking lot and ran to the door. The gas station had already been locked down…a woman came to the door and quickly unlocked it. Inside she directed us to a small janitor’s closet. The tornado alarms kept going off every few minutes. The locked doors began to shake and hiss and squeal and we stayed there until it all quieted down. And my life flashed before my eyes and I pictures all of ouse being sucked up into a tornado as the building disappeared around us. And we just prayed that God would keep us safe.
And he did. Thank you God.
And today, except for some hail damage to the truck windshield, everything is back to normal again.
The crazy thing is a few days ago I had an eerie premonition of trying to outrun a tornado. In a matter of a few days we traded earthquake country for tornado country. The difference is that I know exactly what to do in an earthquake… but not in a tornado.
More tomorrow.
Thank you, God, indeed! I think I would have thrown up my hands and said “Ok, God – I’ll see you in a few minutes!” Sure hope Boo can settle down some and you all don’t have nightmares for the rest of your journey – and Thank God again for sparing your family!
W.O.W.
That photo is unreal…so scary. Thank goodness you’re all okay.
Boo will never forget it! She’ll have quite a story for her grand kids…and visitors at the Hemlock, too!
Wow. Talk about an adventure! You guys sure know how to live it out. I’m glad you were kept safe. That photo is prize worthy.
oh my goodness Ashley…am so glad you and your family are safe…you are certainly going on an amazing journey..
Thank God you are all safe!
CHOOSE JOY! I am speechless…..
Wow!!! Those pictures look really scary!! I have never even been close to a Tornado but I am sooooo scared of them!!! The most frightening thing about them is that they are so incredibly strong and can bury everything underneath them!!! Glad to hear that nothing serious happened in your case! Have a safe journey!
From one CA girl to another I can relate to the terror of tornados! We’ve lived in AL for 11 years now and I would much rather have earthquakes than tornados (or hurricanes for that matter!). At least with an earthquake it hits and you deal with it but with tornados you worry about if it is coming to you and when to take cover and then have to deal with the damage. I am between Nashville and Birmingham and our area is still recovering from the April 27, 2011 plus took another hit April 28th this year. So glad that you all are safe and that the only damage is repairable! Poor Boo! I know she must have been terrified! Those are awesome pictures though. We are having that storm front move through our area for the next few days we are at a TORCON 4 for the next few days meaning that there is a moderate risk of tornadoes alond with hail and high winds! 🙁
Ashley,
I am stunned at your faith along the journey you are taking. God really does have you in the palm of his hands. Thank you for sharing your incredibly fascinating expedition. Your writing and pictures have blessed me in more ways than I can count. Thank you thank you thank you!
LOL. You will have to change your time stamp eventually to not be on Pacific Time:)
Those photos are incredible! I can’t believe you lived it. Thank goodness you are ok! A small tornado touched down in our city once which was a total freak. I didn’t know what to do either. I watched it from the giant glass windows in our office building which of course was not at all smart!
Oh my! We are heading out on our cross country move in just 1 1/2 weeks and I hope we have sunny weather all the way. We are leaving Ohio and moving to the Bay area of Cali for a one year stint at Stanford. We will then be moving again so I purged like crazy too and now have all our belongings in my in-laws’ garage. I still have a few craigslist ads that are waiting to sell, but I think we finally have a place to call home after the road trip. The planning is crazy making and I am ready to hop on the road and see the sights as we travel.
Wow, glad no one is hurt. Have a safe journey.
Oh my goodness, I’m pretty sure I would have been barfing with Boo on that one. What a nightmare!!! Glad you are all safe and thanking God for His protection. Happy Trails to you and yours.
Thank you, Lord for keeping this beautiful family safe. Guardian angels, surround them as they continue their journey.
<3
Wow, it’s frightening just reading your post!
Poor Boo! *hugs*
So glad you are safe.
We had an earthquake here last year, in PA. I was in the shower and the kids came to me for something. I opened the door of the shower to talk to them. I heard the noise(thought it was a very loud truck outside) and watched the hallway outside the bathroom sway on an angle. It was so scary!!!!!!
I knew what it was when I saw the walls move and felt the shower move under my feet.
The Lancaster area has tornados. It’s not far from here. The last one that did hit our town destroyed a lot, but no one was hurt, thank God.
They both scare me.
I’ll take 20 inches of snow any day over tornados and earthquakes.
Wishing you safe travels!
Sounds like an exciting adventure. You could have made some storm chaser videos!
Hi Ashley,
I have been following your travels on Instagram and saw your tornado photos there and was so worried for you all!
So happy that you guys were all okay.
Poor Boo…I know she must have been terrified!
My Granddaughter (who was 5 at the time) was stuck at school when the tornado hit in Moore, OK and my Son and his wife were at home huddled in a closet and unable to get to her, so I know how scary it must have been for you all! I Thank God everyday that he spared my family in Moore and your family in Kansas! What an adventure you all have been on…I can’t wait to read about your adventures at the Hemlock Inn! I will be praying that the rest of your journey there will be safe and easy! <3
I find it pretty remarkable that you trek thru Kansas and the one day that you do there is a tornado.. I mean really what are the odds? I am sure that you have done the math.. care to share? I am really curious and very, very terrible at math. : )
ps. I am glad you all are safe!
So glad your all safe!
Glad you are safe! I live in Missouri, where when the tornado sirens and near touch-downs are pretty much the norm. Was the tornado ever confirmed? That’s scary!
Kansas, tornado and vomit, oh my! Were you wearing red, sparkly shoes? Jokes aside, I can’t imagine how terrifying that would be. What a start to your adventure!
Eh bien voici de l’aventure, si c’est ce que vous cherchiez vous êtes servie ! Heureusement tout va bien, prenez soin de vous ! Venez plutôt planter votre camion en France :))
I know you have this crazy weather in the US but really, you couldn’t make this up! Good instincts. glad you were safe xxx
Barny
So glad you all made it through that ok! The photos are incredible!!!! We once were driving through Kansas when the sirens started going off and stuff while we were in the car. Scariest experience of my life!!!!!
Wow what an adventure! Poor Boo. I have cried through many tornados! Sorry my home state did not give you a very warm welcome! We are usually better at hospitality 🙂
like my sister in the comment right above me said, we’ve gone through lots of tornadoes living our whole lives in Kansas. but even we haven’t been that close to one! so glad you guys made it out okay!!