����Today John and Diane came up to watch us sugar and she teased me about the time a few years back when I was hit by lightning.

����That evening, just like today, they'd come to the sugar house for a visit while we were making maple syrup. Out of nowhere a thunderstorm swept in, and at times the rain was pounding so hard on the tin roof we could barely hear conversations.

����Anyone with half a brain would have stopped the fires, let the rig cool down and called it a night.

����Not us. No, the MarnCo brain trust decided to keep on going.

����There we were in a shack with a tin roof and a big stainless steel smokestack sticking up in the air--can you say "lightning rod" boys and girls? I'll bet you can--and sure enough we got struck.

����I had my ladle dipped into the hot syrup. I felt the jolt travel up my arm and let out a little squeal. Diane was standing right beside me and heard the loud sparking sound when it exited my boot.

����My arm was numb for about 20 minutes but otherwise I was unhurt. I think most of the power of the strike must have been dissipated through the different places the long sugar arch was grounded.

����Yep, I could have been extra crispy Marn for my stupidity. Instead I got a free, all natural, electro-shock therapy treatment. Bonus, eh.

����Super powers would have been great, but unfortunately nothing along that line has materialized. Maybe next time I'm struck.

����That night John and Diane hoped to wait out the storm but after a few hours realized it wasn't giving up. They headed out in their car, but ten minutes later they were back because the river was over the main road; they weren't going anywhere.

����The quarter mile walk up to our house was terrifically exciting. Torrential rain, lightning, rivers of water mixed with spring slush and neither of them had boots. When we finally got home, we fired up the wood stove, lent them clothes, warmed them up and then tucked them into Jess' room for the night.

����When we woke up that morning a big hunk of our road was gone. Just like that, washed away. It took us over $2,000 in gravel and culverts to repair it. Have I ever told you how much I hate spending money on gravel? Far as I'm concerned it's overpriced rocky dirt. But, when you gotta have it ya gotta have it.

����Tomorrow's forecast is for rain. The ground here is frozen, there's a big snow load on the mountains, so we're primed for a flood situation. Here's hoping it's the kind of April shower that brings May flowers, not the kind that sweeps away a road.

����Hmmmm, now where did I put those ark plans?

����Anyone remember just how big a cubit is?