The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings ta ever one in Western Illinois and all readers of "The Quill".
Officially the first day of summer is next Friday, the 21st.
I'm a guess'n if'n it don't rain too much this last week of spring, most folk around these parts will have finished their first go around of corn and beans as well as the second before summer starts.
Stormy Weather
The fellers farming the bottoms have an old adage which sez, "if'n ya have ta replant once, ya'll probably have to replant again. That say'n seems ta be hold'n true for those folks around Oakville, IA, this year.
Tornadoes
For an early "Father's Day" surprise a tornado went through Oakville, IA, last Saturday and dropped over 3 1/2 inches of rain onto their already soggy and replanted fields. Their crops are, again, under water.
Large sections of high power electrical lines were ripped out leave'n those with flooded basements with no electricity ta mitigate the water flowing into the home's basements.
Seven hog confinement facilties were destroyed and/or badly damaged. Irrigation units were twisted beyond repair and debris was scattered throughout their cropland fields.
Houses were damaged and sheds destroyed. Interestedly a cemetery in the middle of the storm, with all the flowers from Memorial Day, hardly had any of it's many bouquets of flowers, on or near tomb stones, even moved at all. Storms move in mysterious ways. An example would be Bill Maxwell's experience.
Another twister touched down southeast of Biggsville. It also damaged trees and several farmsteads. Bill Maxwell was out button'n down his out buildings when the funnel came through.
It picked him up in the air and lifted him over 100 yards. He said it was, enterestingly enough, a gentle "pick up' and a gentle "set down' albeit he was not upright whilst he was set down.
As he was fly'n through the air he noticed large objects and parts of buildings fly'n with him. Upon land'n he was concerned his farmstead was destroyed.
As it turns out the objects fly'n through the air, with him, were parts of buildings from the neighbor's farmstead. One large metal object was wrapped around one of his trees. He realized how lucky he was not ta have been injured at all. A few trees on his homestead were damaged, but his buildings were intact. He said the strangest thing of all was the sensation of be'n picked up and float'n through the air. Nothing like he had ever experienced before.
In talk'n ta the rest of the folks around these parts, their rain total from that storm was around five to seven tenths of an inch. One feller further north reported 1 1/2 inches of rain.
Irish Humor
I'm a think'n maybe you readers could use a little humor for this column at this time:
Irish Ghost
This story happened a while ago in Dublin, and even through it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it's true.
John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road hitch-hiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a big storm.
The night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.
Suddenly, he saw a car slowly coming towards him and stopped. John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the car and closed the door..only to realize there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn't running.
The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared out of nowhere through the window, and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror, watched as the hand came through the window, but never touched or harmed him.
Shortly thereafter, John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road, so, gathering strength, he jumped out of the car and ran to it:Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he had just had.
A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realized he was crying : and wasn't drunk. Suddenly, the door opened, and two other people walked in from the dark and stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath. Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to the other..
Look Paddy :. there's that idiot that got in the car while we were pushing it!'
There ya have it then, I'm a hope'n that brought on a smile this midweek column for those who have a good "Irish sense of Humor"
That's all for this column.
Plan on attend'n the church of yer choice this week.
Remember where ever ya are, what ever ya be a do'n "BE A GOOD ONE!"
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
Barnyard Bruke