I am not a fan of spring. Thursday’s weather reminded me of that.
Yes, it felt nice to shed a winter coat but the sun, rain, sun, rain and ever constant wind had me unsettled.
I was not the only one. I let out my daughter’s dogs during the day. Cooper is a beautiful, fun loving Great Dane, about 130 pounds. But when it was time to go, he would not leave my side. He just kept looking out the window and standing by me.
I don’t blame him.
Cooper was one of her dogs that made it through the tornado which obliterated many of the houses in her subdivision. Everyday I am thankful that only houses were lost, and not people.

The outpouring of concern and compassion from the community was unbelievable and much appreciated.
The next house I build is going to have a concrete shed in the garage. It will be designed to withstand hurricane force winds. At my age, getting up and down stairs quickly can be a problem, so having a tornado shelter in the garage would be helpful. At least it will give me peace of mind. It could also provide a hiding place from chores, but that is a different topic.
I have relatives who just moved into an age 50-plus community in Florida, the kind of development where you don’t have to do any outside maintenance, such as weeding or lawn mowing. None of the homes have stairs. There are thresholds in the garage and front door, but everything else is accessible without lifting a foot more than an inch.
I often wonder why more homes are not built that way. After all, the population of people over 60 is huge and the availability of accessible houses is small.  
It is not only seniors who would like this type of housing, but younger folks who have a child with a disability and veterans with injuries resulting in mobility issues.
I imagine houses like that are difficult to build with a basement, but that’s where my concrete bunker in the garage comes into play…a safe spot to wait out storms or avoid a honey-do list.
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I enjoyed the St. Patrick’s Day Hooley. I was the parade announcer and was thankful to have a warm spot. Thanks to the Bingham Clan for organizing and setting up the Hooley.

Terry Dickow is a retired elementary school teacher with lots of opinions, some you will like, some you won’t. He can be contacted at terrydickow@gmail.com.