MOTHER NATURE, READY FOR A NURSING HOME?

It's wild, windy, rainy, hot, floods, tornadoes, hail, and yes, even snow. What in the world gives here? Has Mother Nature lost it? Is she going bonkers or what? Do we need a new Mother Nature? After all these many years, is she going through the . . . what do women call it -- the change? She has been nutty this summer.

I heard on the news the other night that they had to put ice into a swimming pool in Nebraska because the water temperature was like 90 some degrees. And they added something like 400 pounds of ice or more! So how many people couldn't make ice cream that day?

And then, all this rain. It falls where we really don't need it. Course that's good for our water bill. But what about those who could use the rain! Not a drop. And record temps in places such as North and South Dakota and parts of Kansas.

And all those tornadoes! Maybe it is time that we bring back the civil defense and those funny little hats that they used to wear. Maybe we should make it so that every house sold now in the U.S. has to have one of them storm cellars/bomb shelters. Having a regular basement does not get it.

I remember storm cellars from when I was just a wee little tyke living in Arkansas. And I can also remember bad enough weather that we had to set in the storm cellar and ride out a storm and tornado. I remember that grandma had home canned goods in that cellar. And if I close my eyes, I swear that I can even smell that cellar!

Now, as for the bomb shelters. . . well, I can remember a few of those as well. Me and this kid that I knew, I can't remember his name now, (maybe I'm ready for the home) -- his dad had put in and buried in their backyard a bomb shelter. They had taken and dug up the old storm cellar, and in its place put in this bomb shelter.

As a side note, when you decide to have a bomb shelter you are supposed to do it on the sly. It is supposed to be just for you and your family because if the whole neihborhood knows that you have one, they all come knocking at your door if the commies decide to drop the big one on us.

Anyway, this bomb shelter was really cool. It had a fan that kept it nice and cool, and lights, and beds to sleep on, and food and water. And it had a BATHROOM. Never saw one of those in a storm shelter, just a five gallon bucket with a seat on it. This bomb shelter even had a shower. The kind that you have seen in travel trailers. You know, where you could set on the throne and shower at the same time? Well, we must have played for days in that bomb shelter, until his dad came home early one day.

Boy, did the stuff hit the fan! We were chased out by his Dad, and I guess I ran faster, 'cause that kid was caught by his dad and was getting a licking. I ran so fast towards home that I almost ran BY it! I was out breath and thought that my lungs were never ever going to be able to take a normal breath again.

I never saw that kid again. And when we drove by every now and then, I would kind of duck down in the seat when his dad was in the front yard. Never knew what happened to that kid!

Anyway. Maybe we should get a new Mother Nature. A mother we could sort of train. A more gentle sweet forgiving type who wouldn't be so hard on our earth.

Then again, maybe it isn't Mother Nature to blame. Maybe it is old Mother Earth. And she isn't happy with how we have been treating her. Or maybe both of them have decided to gang up on all of us.

Maybe we all should say a few more prayers now and again. And ask what the heck is going on with the weather. Get the president on the line! No, wait -- I think that my new and improved bomb storm thing-a-majig just got here. It's that, or my ride to the home is here.

So, whats up with this weather we have been having? It is heck on the knees.