Richter

Went up to Roanoke for a quick overnight visit. Caught a baseball game and generally relaxed. Until... dun dun dunnnnnn.

A little after 4am Friday night, the earth shook with a mighty vengeance and the gods in angry earthly reprisal woke me from my slumber. An earthquake. In Roanoke, VA. Centered in Cave Spring. True. All true. A whopping 3.0 on the Richter Scale. Certainly 3.0 is whopping for the hills of Virginia. I survived. But my sleep was undeniably disturbed. As other accounts trickle in, the general consensus was that someone had fallen out of bed or that a tree had fallen. But no, the tectonic plates of the earth shifted beneath our sleeping bodies. Most of us made it through with only emotional scars and an undeniable desire for a nap the next day. We will forever be bound by the invisible ties that shared experience (shared traumatic, life changing experience) bring. Others slept right through it.

An earthquake between 3.0-3.9 is often felt, but rarely causes damage. An estimated 49,000 per year of this magnitude occur. But, an estimated zero per 35 years have occurred with me in attendance. That's why the great 'quake of aught nine was, and always will be, so very cool.

For the non-believers... go here.

Hurricane? Check.
Earthquake? Check.
Locusts? Check.
Tornado? No thanks.

Tomorrow, we'll analyze the fire ant's May 17th offensive against the emerging food production complex at 980 Northwest Avenue.