Wrapping up this batch of severe weather

The beat goes on.

Smudge and I ran to Yellville and back Monday morning — bank, Harps, post office, smoke shop. Skies were clear, temps pleasant.

Storms rolled through during the afternoon, though nothing of consequence. After several hours’ pause, the NWS put us under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch, later upgraded to a Warning, followed by a Tornado Watch.

We got rain, thunder and a little hail. The worst stayed south of The Mountain.

A tornado touched down around 11pm in Stone County, 35 miles southeast of us.

Yesterday promised to be a repeat of Monday, at least in terms of timing. We’d have a clear start, storms arriving early afternoon, a break and then (potentially) a bumpy evening.

Itching to get something accomplished before noon, I whacked weeds along the driveway and, in an effort to stay ahead of things on the lower level, I cut back growth around the burn barrel, compost tumbler and soft shed.

Thunder and rain showed up midday, as expected. I fixed myself an early dinner.

Grandma would’ve been proud of me. See, she saved bacon grease in a jar in the “icebox,” to use when cooking instead of butter, oil, shortening or lard. Now I do, too.

I dropped a chunk into a warm skillet…

…and once it melted, I turned up the heat and fried a couple of slices of garlic bologna.

Bacon fat imparts amazing flavor and depth to whatever it touches. When the bologna was done, I toasted four slices of wheat bread in the same pan, meaning to soak up every last bit of goodness.