I was sitting at my desk in my office, and I heard what sounded like a large truck downshifting, which is really odd considering we live out in the country. And then the light on my desk started shaking, and the floor started bouncing.

I thought the Husbear tripped and fell in the other room. I went to check. Not so much.

So I did what everyone does and posted to Twitter and Facebook. And so did everyone else in the area. Status updates lit up with tremor reports all over the place.

Don't ask me why, but for some reason I get the RSS feed from the USGS for earthquakes in the area. Lo and behold, a magnitude 5.6 quake centered about 200 miles west of where we live in Pea Ridge had just happened.

Apparently, there's been quite a few in that area in the last day:

It must be gay marriage that's causing this.

Wait, Oklahoma doesn't allow that.

A large portion of the debris has been cleaned up, but in it's place there is a great swath of empty land that formerly contained many homes and businesses. There are also many crosses planted about, more than likely where people were killed.

There were several tent-filled camps set up in the area. Something I can't imagine staying in when it's been over 100 degrees in the area for a month.

We passed several properties where people will still going through the rubble of their homes, sorting what could and couldn't be saved. It was difficult to witness, and I can't even begin to know what emotions they are dealing with.

I lost count of how many times the tornado sirens went off in Pea Ridge. Luckily, none came to fruition for us. And the flooding and hail damage we had was minimal and insignificant compared to what was suffered by those around us.

Joplin is only about 45 miles north of where I live. Both the Husbear and I have clients and acquaintances who live there. It's the next big city north of where we live. The devastation there is unimaginable, even for a tornado.

Just watch this fly-over:

Sadly, Joplin wasn't the only destruction that occurred near us. 30 miles to our west in South West City, MO, a friend lost his home and farm to an as-of-yet unlisted tornado a few hours later.

Facebook has been extremely active with all the people I'm friends with who live in the area: Friends seeking information on missing family members and friends; and friends announcing the death of loved ones. It's hard to witness.

While I live in "Tornado Alley", I can't begin to imagine what I would do if that devastation happened where we live.

And yet, we're preparing for another round of severe storms tonight. To the point ALL of our clients at the tattoo studio and the Husbear's hair salon have rescheduled their afternoon and evening appointments, and most of the businesses in the area are actually sending their employees home early today. I don't know if it's due to a heightened sensitivity to what happened around us on Sunday, or if because this one is just going to be really bad. I guess we'll find out in a few hours.

That's an accurate description of my attitude so far today. And it's not even noon yet.

Thanks to Mother Nature and her ass cheeks flapping together loudly all through the night and this morning, I woke up grumpy.

And I still am grumpy.

Today's going to be one of those days, I can already tell.

It's now an A-frame birdhouse. (click to embiggen)

My poor Jeep. (click to embiggen)

On the news this morning, they posted the NW Arkansas-area seasonal snow fall records since 1940:
25.8" in 2009 - 2010
25.0" in 1977 - 1978
22.5" in 2002 - 2003
21.2" in 1947 - 1948
19.5" in 1959 - 1960

We've set a new record. And winter isn't even over yet.

There's a bench under that tree. Somewhere. (click to embiggen)

The house isn't so white. (click to embiggen)

I'm so ready for Spring.