Tractor show, and other surprises

Cliff and I have been planning to go to the Lathrop tractor show for quite awhile.  We hoped to ride our motorcycle, because it's a nice little ride... about forty-five minutes.  


This morning, however, after looking at the weather forecast, we decided to go in the car.  Egg-sized hail wouldn't be much fun on a motorcycle.  


We walked around the flea market and took a quick look at the antiques and tractors.  I only took one picture during our walk through the show: 

I don't know how old this fan was, but it was running.  It's battery powered.  


We looked at several tractors; trouble is, they're the same tractors we see there every year.  We have them memorized.  And all the time, we had that forecast in mind, because our Mercury is rear-wheel-drive.  And at a tractor show, you park on grass.  We knew if a downpour occurred, we'd be stuck.  


It was hot and steamy when we went into the building where lunch was being served, and there was a long waiting line.  Cliff said, "You know, we'll be going past lots of places to eat on the way home."  


Normally I like to support the people putting on the tractor shows by buying lunch on the grounds, but I was worried about the weather.  So we left, thank the good Lord.  Because not ten minutes later, an unbelievably strong wind came up, and some mighty scary clouds.  

Here's the view through our windshield as we headed toward home.  We hoped to outrun the storm, but our hopes were in vain.  

This was taken through my passenger window.  

This shot was taken much closer to home, before we crossed the Missouri River.  


We arrived home to find an inch of rain in our rain gauge and our electricity not working.  For six hours. Oh happy day.  


I am SO glad we didn't take the motorcycle.