Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Ziba and THE STORM

Well we had an interesting night. The storms that the news is still talking about this morning here in southern VA were loud - the tornado warnings had us all listening closely to the wind in case of the "freight train" sound. We unplugged the TV, VCR, Internet and all that. After losing two televisions in this house, we don't play anymore - however that also had taken away our way to know what was going on around us.

I was sleepy though. That was the best thing for me to do - go to sleep and sleep through the storm. Right as I drifted off, Ronnie JUMPED out of bed, grabbed his gun, and ran to the front of the house. My heart started racing but all I got out of my mouth was, "WHAT are you DOING?" As if he were doing this just to wake me up. All he responded with was "I heard something."

yeah, thats comforting.

He throws open the front door and I hear ALL the neighborhood dogs going CRAZY. Ziba was obviously being loud too. I am usually more worried about Ziba frustrating our neighbors. Ronnie starts yelling from the front porch.. "ZIBA! ZIBA!" I am REALLY more worried now about Ronnie - its one thing for Ziba to make the neighbors mad, but Ronnie yelling at her might just put them over the edge. I am behind him (inside the house) watching out the door.

Finally Ziba comes running back to the house, Ronnie had watched her chase something down our driveway, and around the abandoned house across the street twice when she just decided to come back to the porch. She was terrified. At least Ronnie said she was, I didn't get that close. About the time she gets to the porch, our neighbors down the street turn on their flood lights and BANG! One shot..... This makes Ronnie go back to the edge of the porch. About that time. BANG! A second shot.

The flood lights turn back off.

I have no idea what they were shooting at. Did they see the creature Ziba had been fighting with under our carport? Were they shooting because Ziba had made them angry? Were they shooting warning shots because Ronnie was yelling? I am just not sure. But regardless, it took me a while to get back to sleep of course. Ronnie said it was either a Coyote, or Fox or something... I am not sure Ziba could have scared off a Coyote without getting injured, so I think it was something smaller... We think whatever it was, was taking Ziba's food - and well - no one messes with Ziba's food - she is VERY protective of all things FOOD.

So, thats the excitement of the story, lightening, thunder, tornadoes, dogs barking, guns firing. Just a normal night in southern VA.

3 comments:

Jonathan Warren said...

Sounds like you need some good ol' boys from alabama up there to take care of them thar wild aminals for you. Oh and tell ronnie when there is shooting going on get some cover! Go see what they are shooting at after they have quit! especially if they MIGHT be shooting in your direction! I'm glad he's there to take care of you and zeba. Even when you pass out cause of glass in your heel and blood that you can't even see! I think you very rare. If you just KNOW you are bleeding you pass out you don't even have to see it! Quite funny. What you are going to do when you have kids and they cut thier knee I don't know. But Anyway love ya big sis.
Jonathan
p.s. you did check zeba to make sure that animal didn't bite her, and if it did she has had her rabies shots right?

Darlene said...

Julia, Julia,Julia....I love to visit your site and read your stories. They really make me laugh. Are you really from Alabama? Things like this happen so much here it is hard to believe you are just now experiencing them. Maybe it just happens in Chilton County! Monday night we had a big dog fall in our swimming pool in the deep end and couldn't get out. Joey (thankfully was home) and because we didn't know the dog had to push dog back into pool..help dog lay on pool vaccum pole and pull to the shallow end to steps where dog on whobbly legs climbs steps and then has to run real fast because our weinnie dog Dixie started barking and chasing it. I was relieved to have the dog out of pool ...but felt sorry for the dog. You know the dog was scared it thought it was going to drown and then didn't even have time to take a good breath and get its legs back till he had to run for safety. I don't know how the dog got into the pool ...but I think it was trying to get some food.
Glad things turned out okay!

Anonymous said...

that is tooooo funny....we live in a crazy stange place!! glad to hear everybody is ok...good ears ronnie!!

Nicole