Tornadoes in the South---the New Snow Days

5:15 P.M: SUN TRYING ITS BEST TO SHINE--- BIRDS START CHIRPING...

4:30 P.M.: FRUIT TREE BLOSSOMS STREWN EVERYWHERE ON GROUND, THUNDER CONTINUES, RAIN STOPS, THEN STARTS AGAIN, MORE SIREN BLASTS...

4:00 P.M: MASSIVE RAIN AND GOLF BALL-SIZED HAIL FALLING HARD...THEN QUIET...THEN MORE SIRENS...

3:30 P.M. UPDATE: WIND PICKING UP AND SKIES GOING DARK, THUNDER PICKS UP---NO WHERE NEAR HEADING FOR THE BUNKER....SIRENS SOUND ON, THEN OFF...THINK I'LL HAVE A CUP OF JOE IN CASE I HAVE TO RUN FOR IT...

USED TO BE SNOW DAYS WERE THE BEST WAY TO GET OUT OF SCHOOL AND SOMETIMES WORK.

Not any more.

Mention a forecast of tornadoes and thunderstorms and cities/towns in the south and mid-west go on high alert and lock down: Schools let out, grocery stores are swarmed and talk of weather goes ballistic.

Is it realistic? Probably not. That's because for every dire prediction, there are at least 100-1,000 no shows. Still that 1 in 1,000 can be pretty bleak and devastating---like the 1 in 100,00 plane crashes that make headlines for days.

Bad storms in Nashville are predicted from 2 to 8 p.m.. Yet, the sun is shining profusely here though the wind is gusting up to 30mph. So what?

My guess is we're on the periphery of the bad weather and won't see anything of the likes of the TV dramas that are upping their ratings (which I never watch) by alarmist bulletins and ongoing coverage.

We live in a  world of alarmism on all fronts. It gets hits on in web, and sells newspapers, especially when the worst happens.

Still, the sun shines and wildflowers blossom, even as the worst of the weather could conceivably/perhaps/maybe happen.

Will keep you posted if I have to evacuate and am fortunate enough to find a hole to crawl in when the big one comes.

But for now all is well in sunny, breezy Nashville. Spring is springing profusely  and it's perfectly wonderful. Rough storms are a part of our Scotch-Irish culture. We're used to it.