Some concern has been expressed in the past by various people that I am not truly country nor am I truly Southern. I for some random reason, perhaps it is the lack of anything else better to talk about or the fact that I have an unbelievable amount of homework to do, but I am choosing to answer that allegation right this moment!

It may be true that I have never technically lived out side of city limits, that I have never gone camping in the outdoors tent style, that I until two Sundays ago I had never shot a gun, I don't feel a need to have one in the house, or go hunting. Yet it is also true, that I believe that a truck is the only real vehicle, and the bigger the better, that shopping is no fun at all, that cornbread is one of the best things that some woman ever invented, and that a farm is the epitome of the good life.

I think that to say I'm not Southern is insane, "specially iffen you've ever heard me tawwk." In truth I "grew up" out in the county, in Lawrence county to be exact, and it doesn't really matter where it was that I happened to sleep every night.

In case you still have any doubts however, this should lay them all to rest. Tonight we have Tornado weather in downtown Caddo. And like all good, redneck, country, Southerners I'm hoping to see an awesome show. Mother is parniod (or maybe just intellegent) and since I'm not at home in Florence, I can't sit out and watch the storms or chase them. However I did run around in the Hobby Lobby parking lot in some seriously fun straight line winds earlier.

This weather that comes each and every year, to be followed by tornado sirens, brings some great moments to mind. 1995, I was in fifth grade, and was fighting to get a better view through our classroom window as a tornado cut across the playground and field behind the school. It might have been 100 yards away, probably closer. 2000, I was spending the night with a friend when we heard the sirens, so like everyone else, we headed out side to once again watch the tornado that was across the road, probably 200 yards or so away this time. 2004, this time it was late fall. Ty, Mel, Russ, and I were hanging out the balcony on the 13th story of Courtview Towers watching funnels all over town. We saw one really cool one touch down on the River (that would be the Tennessee), and picked out four more, before noticing the one about 20 feet over Courtview. We almost couldn't get the sliding door closed. I don't think I've ever seen glass bend and bow like that, before we all dove for the closet. Finally 2006, I was at Famous Dave's working and for the second weekend in a row Tornadoes were cutting into my tips by keeping people at home. Since there was no one around and a tornado down on the ground north of the River out around Killen (about 15 miles north of us) we all stood around in the sleet watching the incredibly cool looking wall clouds, before they finally closed the store and let us go home.

What about you people, any good storm stories, or am I the only fool among us?