Well we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto...

Today I survived a tornado.

I wish I was joking.

SB lives in rural South Auckland, in a farmhouse on his parents' horticultural property. Today, being the first day of school holidays, SB left me sleeping as he went off to work. I got up and was just finishing my leisurely breakfast when the rain started bucketing down. I looked out the lounge room window and could see the palm tree in the pool yard flapping like it wanted to take flight.

Crikey.

That's glass on the lawn there... I heard a thump on the side of the house. What the hell? Is it hailing? I looked towards the kitchen window and realised what was probably happening. I screamed and ducked for cover. Panes of glass were flying off the glass house straight at the kitchen window. Huddled into the computer desk, I hear an almighty crash.

And there went the kitchen window... thank goodness for security grilles and net curtains. We curse them all the time but they are what stopped the glass from flinging into the kitchen and across the lounge. It's all open plan.

Then as quickly as it had started, the wind died away. Poor SB's parents have completely lost their crop of tomatoes and have extensive losses and repairs to claim on insurance, including but not limited to a buckled conservatory, windows, glass house panes, gates blown off hinges, fence panels blown off and a massive clean up of glass from the property.

We weren't hit the worst... but for sleepy old rural NZ, it was pretty damn scary. I don't think my blood pressure went back to normal for several hours. So much for a relaxing start to the holidays!