Yes, this post is a long time coming. And let me begin by letting you know that John aspires to be a tornado chaser. One of his favorite shows was on Discovery called Storm Chasers with Reed Timmer. If you know about Reed, he invented a car called the Dominater that can withstand some tornadoes. It actually goes inside the tornado.
A couple weeks ago John and I were on our way to his parents house for a quick dinner before I had a meeting. Typical spring day here, threats of storms and tornadoes had just been through further south. John and I had a discussion on the way over about how many people who watch live Tornado chasing videos online. Reed has a website-www.tornadovideos.net, that shows their live feeds from their cars chasing tornadoes, and it shows on there how many people are viewing the different chasers. We were also discussing how people are looking for something exciting in their lives to happen. We then eat a quick meal and start heading back so I can make it to my meeting in time when we are driving are a back road. Discussion:
Me: John, do you see that?
John: That looks like a funnel cloud. (As we are driving towards it)
Me: It IS a tornado!!!!! (In the short span of time as we said this it literally dropped down about 3 miles away from us).
John: Get your camera!
John stops on the back road and we start filming. Of course, I am not as adventurous as John, especially when it comes to tornadoes, and I give him a look that says, YOU ARE CRAZY DO NOT STOP HERE!!!! But, of course, John calmly says that it isn't coming our way and we sit and watch. The commentary that followed was very interesting:
John: Boys, do you see that tornado?
Caleb: YEAH! A tornado!!
Ethan: I don't see it.
Caleb: It's right there!!
Ethan: I don't see it.
Caleb: It's right there!!
Ethan: I'm scared.
John: don't be scared. It isn't coming this way.
John-looking at me: Can we turn around, cut back towards it, and get a better view?
Me: With a look on my face that says, ARE YOU CRAZY? But in a calm voice, replies: No, we have kids in the car.
John nods. He knew it. But still wanting to be in the Dominater and intercept this tornado. The tornado then goes further down and touches ground, heaving up a steeple from the church he grew up in, as well as a trampoline of people living next door.
Me: DID YOU SEE THAT?
John: Yes!!!
Ethan: Mom, I'm done with my pickle. What can I do with it?
Me: Throw it out. It's a pickle. The birds will enjoy.
Ethan: Can you just open the door so I can jump out and throw it out?
Me: No, just try and stuff if out your window. We are on a road. We can't just open up the doors and let you jump out. (As two sheriff vehicles go flying by with their sirens on, apparently they are secret tornado chasers too. Did mention that there is a tornado only a couple miles away?)
John: Boys, watch the tornado. You may never see this again in your life.
Caleb: Can we go yet?
Ethan: I can't get my pickle out the window.
Me: Ethan, just squish it down.
Caleb: Is it over? Can we go now?
John: Just watch the tornado.
John calls his family and gets them on the phone informing them a tornado is on the way, (it did go directly over their house but it was not down on the ground). We go by the church and see the steeple as well as the people next door and praise the Lord all were safe. So, John actually got a tornado chase in, even though it wasn't on purpose and he didn't get to lower the spikes in the minivan, he did get to watch a real tornado only a few miles away. A few miles away is too close for me.
http://youtu.be/_me50jHoM-Y
