You would think, and I did as I scaled the side of the stock trailer and pulled myself up onto its roof, that this cloud would bring destructive weather to the farm. It looked so full of doom. But it did not. The long black cloud merely tipped its sprinkling hat and rolled rumbling by without a second glance.Valerie passed Camera House up to me on my high perch then she climbed up onto the bed of the big truck parked next to the stock trailer and we watched the weather pass.
We did get some rain during the evening, but for our wee farm in this low point in this lowest area of the surrounding low plains the storms were heaving with loud bark and no bite.
From my vantage point I watched the clouds boil past as the cows with calves in tow headed out into the cooling fields and the pigs enjoyed the breeze.
The dark came with Alaskan swiftness and as we headed back into the kitchen, other clouds moved in and the rain began to fall. All the drama weather took itself elsewhere leaving us with the prescribed half inch of good growing rain.
Let’s look at this one again – it really is quite a magnificent image.
Remember that if you like an image from the blog just steal it. No need to ask permission. If you reprint it or publish it, in any medium, please give me credit. Otherwise – go ahead – print it on photocopy paper and pin it on your kids walls (or your wall – after all that is the best use of a wall), with my blessings.
Yesterday we cleared a bed of overgrown asparagus, the weeds came out really easily. In this humidity and with that rain last night I am sure we will be picking some good feeds very soon. My beds are a good seven years old so we can pick for a while without damaging next years crop. And Valerie loves asparagus too!
Last night we made a tarte tartin with mulberries. The mulberry trees are heaving with fruit. There will be a mulberry something every day! Today mulberry sorbet! Then mulberry jam.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
Wednesday 20% Precip. / 0 in
Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night 60% Precip. / 0.08 in
Cloudy skies this evening followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 66F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
The Kitchen's Garden 
82 responses to “THE DOOM CLOUD”
GOLLY GOSH! That is one stinker of a storm wherever it broke…I can just imagine thunder lightening crashing and banging and lighting up the sky. It is so black ,, a real humdinger! I love the skies when they are full of anger..there is so much energy up there ..its quite frightening, yet it is exciting.. Indeed the cloud formation is really spectacular , God can make lovely patterns even with big dark clouds. Happy that you and Valeria are enjoying such lovely fruits..sounds yummy! Take care all of you..people and animals…love to all from me in BG
Love to you too darling girl!
forgot to say ..I think that addition to post yesterday and maybe today is due to my computer going wrong last week and the man in the shop put Avast on as security..I don’t think its anything to worry about
lots o love p
Sneaky advertising .. all good
Those clouds look low enough for you to reach up and touch them! Purple mouths and fingers will be the order of the day for awhile too 🙂 Laura
And purple bird poops!!
Amazing pics. Kansas sort of Wizard of Oz sky. Maybe not a day for red shoes unless Boo feels like a gig as the new Toto 😉
I don’t think Boo will do so well in Kansas.
Watching the weather and clouds is a favorite thing for me. That gorgeous thing was a shelf cloud.
It was nicely placed for the shot too.
Yes. They look ominous but are not always so.
That first picture makes me think of the ‘Wizard of Oz’!
Mm – looks like a long wait but worth it!
Oops that was a reply in the wrong place
Spectacular cloud! You could sell that to a special effects company for ‘alien invasion clouds’…
I envy you the mulberries. Do you like gin? Mulberry gin is lovely: Mix together 3 cups mulberries, 2 pints medium quality gin, 1 cup sugar (for a not too sweet result). Mix sugar and fruit, put into a 4 pint container with a lid and stir well. Cover and keep in a dark, cool place for 3 months, then strain out the fruit, pressing out the juice. Probably best not to give the pressed fruit to the pigs, as it’ll be very alcoholic. Pour the strained gin into a clean container and return to storage for at least 6 months to mature. You can do it with vodka too, but the flavour of gin goes very well with mulberries. Just don’t spill it on yourself when you drink it. Not only would it waste the drink, but it stains like the devil…
Sounds lovely – especially after a wait of 9 months.
Good things come to those who wait…
True that!
Oh Kate – you are priceless! ‘Medium-quality gin’ . . . ? You mean you’ll make the poor darling mulberries bear the whole taste and value burden . . . 🙂 ? Sugar: this is like making vintage wine . . . . may just try . . .
My point was that there’s no use using the cheap and nasty stuff because still you’ll be able to taste it’s cheap, but equally no point in pouring in your precious bottle of Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray No.10 because the mulberries will be quite emphatic! Gordons will do nicely…
*laugh* OK! Gordon’s it will be . . . . . personally like Tanqueray if I get past wine . . . .
Wow!! Is that what it looks like when tornados are brewing Celi? It is a great year for the mulberries here as well, but we’re a little behind you yet; ). Enjoy!
No,these are not tornado clouds . That is a whole science In itself. But they are pretty impressive!
Recently the local weather guy showed a picture similar to yours and he called it a ‘roll cloud’. I just googled and several pictures popped up with similar characteristics. I did see some radar of last night for the North Central part of the US. Looked like some rough weather for folks. Just wish we could get a cool shower , its been pretty miserable around here lately. Love all your farm reports. I had a good country garden last year, not so much this year (weather, seed germination and then the deer took what little germinated). My little city garden may be all I have this year, provided the ‘city deer’ leave it alone.
M in NC
Yes. I love how different parts of the world have different names for things. Whatever their label they are impressive . Those deer- I don’t know why we never have trouble with deer / the dogs I suppose-
Really terrific photographs. I’m ready for a bit of sun, no humidity and some dry out of the planting beds. We’re in clay soil, so total dry out is aka: cement. Mulberries, heard of them but not sure I would recognise them or the bush. Mulberry wine too perhaps?
That clay must make gardening hard.
Yep! I have been amending it with compost (kitchen) and bought, and work it really hard and slowly. It’s a work in progress, but the more we plant, the easier it is to make it into nice soil. It’s no farm or acres, but a postage stamp garden size..plenty to do.
You can grow an awful lot of food in a postage stamp garden!
right now, we may not let the beets get to full bulb, we’re gathering the greens, and they multiply faster than we can eat them. They come up fast and furious, lucky fun.
I’m glad the shelf didn’t topple on you all. Just a gentle spill. Wonderful photos of the impending doom.
Yes! I live the clouds here
That is an amazing tubular cloud and so low down! I hope Chicken Licken didn’t spot it…
HA, totally guessing that was intended as Chicken Little. (Don’t you just love American Autocorrect? ):
Both are correct – it’s Chicken Licken in the UK:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henny_Penny
Yes! So sweet
25 centuries old, that story? Wow! No wonder there are so many different names/versions, hey? Honestly, I thought there was a restaurant in the States called “Chicken Licken”…
There may well be and I’m surprised the Colonel hasn’t used the story somehow in advertising.
The amazing thing here, is that the ancient moral about keeping calm and not panicking has no effect on a large portion of the population in a crisis!
Sadly, mass-hysteria seems to be feeding the Chicken Littles these days, doesn’t it? Does no-one read between the acorns anymore?
Definitely!
Wait a minute, I’m getting it mixed up with another children’s story/parable… So, what was the the name of the hen who kept asking for help but eventually did all the work of planting seed, tending the garden, harvesting grain and ultimately making it into flour to bake her bread when suddenly, everyone who would not help wanted to share in eating the finished product?
That sounds familiar too – The Little Red Hen?
Yes, that’s it! Thanks; )
Chicken little Licken.
Thanks for the photo permission. I might just print one out for my wall. Those barn shots really are fab.
I’m so jealous about your mulberries. I found a fabulous mulberry two blocks away a few years ago with berries the size of my thumb. I went back the following year and they’d cut the tree down. *sniff* I really don’t understand people sometimes.
Oh no! That is awful and not even time for you to take a cutting.
Big skies are such a canvas…if you’re not worried about hail and tornadoes you can enjoy the ever changing artistry. (What storm clouds we all seem to be having – this is the time for porch/window watching for sure)
Love that last picture of barn, cloud roll and chickens accents
Yes! Those chickens were not worried at all!
That would scare me for sure!
Standing on a stock trailer a lightening storm? it is exhilarating!!
You can have it!! I would be in the nearest closed cupboard huddling together with Boo . . . 🙂 !
GASP!!!
That cloud looks like a freight train headed off into the upper distance. Mulberry concoctions, I’m jealous. I’m sure Tima is enjoying them too.
You were the first one to find mulberries here and me there are multiple mulberry trees fruiting