Journeys With Jani

I stayed at the office until 6:30 tonight finishing up a few trips for clients. It had been a long day, and I was ready to head home and just be done.

As I walked out to my car, I noticed the sky off toward Rome was dark—and around here, that usually means trouble’s coming. Sure enough, not long after I got past all the construction near Taylor Trucking on 113, lightning lit up the sky in every direction. The wind started pushing the trees sideways, and then the rain hit—fast and hard.

Next thing I know, hail starts falling. Real hail—not just a few pellets. I haven’t seen that many cars pull off the road in a long time. I stayed slow and steady, just trying to get home. Then, the car in front of me suddenly swerved. I slowed down and spotted the reason—a large refrigerator box sitting right in the middle of the road.

Managed to miss it, thankfully, and kept on. When I finally got to Taylorsville, tree debris was everywhere. As I turned down Main Street, a fire truck was already out, directing cars around several fallen trees.

Naturally, my mind jumped to our driveway. It’s lined with tall trees, and in storms like this, I always worry. Thankfully, it was mostly clear—just a few small limbs and the trash can lid up against the fence.

But once I got inside, I noticed standing water by the back door. The glass was covered in sandy dirt and small leaves. Looks like the storm had blown hard enough to push water through the pet door—even with the porch covered.

When I stepped outside, it was clear we hadn’t gotten off as easy as I thought. Limbs everywhere. A sheet of tin in the yard (I assume from the roof—I’ll be checking). A large tree was down and leaning across the deck rail. And the shed across the creek? Completely torn apart and scattered along the embankment.

So tomorrow’s plan has officially changed. Yard work is on the schedule whether I like it or not. Not exactly the ending I expected to a long workday—but that’s life sometimes

Real moments. Real storms. Real life.

XOXO, Jani