There are big storms brewing in our area this afternoon and this evening. We got a robo-call this afternoon from the county governemnt...hail....tornadoes...damaging winds....power outages.

Since the master gardener is still at work, the girls and I had to handle all the outside pre-storm prep this afternoon.

Standing in the garden, cell phone in hand, I had to call him for his priority list--who would get covered, who would not? On a recent decluttering whim, I thrifted a bunch of mismatched, unused sheets. Crud. So we're short on garden cover and there's just so many vintage tablecloths that I'm willing to lend to the garden.

So with our makeshift weights to hold down corners, and a good supply of clothespins we covered up as much as we could with priority to the tomatoes and cucumbers. Beans can always be replanted. Corn will have to fend for itself. We're crossing our fingers for you, potatoes. (***edited to add: So there's some controversy on covering the plants...will the sheets act as sails and knock everything over in the wind? Or is it the best defense against the hail? Opinions? Thoughts? Experience?***)

Animals are fed. Water buckets are filled. Flakes of hay are distributed. The barns feel all kinds of cozy.

Inside, water is gathered. We're starting a steady stream of baths and showers in anticipation of no power, no water.

The big crock has been brought in, washed out and filled up with fresh water. I'm so thankful for this birthday gift from Dan many years ago. It's been put to lots of good use.