Summer at the ranch has been busy as always. June was a short month as we took a family vacation to Hawaii for 7 days. It was a great time of fun, sun and relaxation. June is always the time for this ranch to have a little down time before the fun begins with the haying season. Our daughter also graduated from High School so there were trips to the college of choice for orientations and tours of the campus. It was a whirl wind month but what July brought made June seem pretty low key. June 29 is a day we here at the ranch will never forget. First off its our daughters birthday so a special day was in order with a trip to the big city with nail apts and a day of girl time to be had. The day was very hot and humid which is not normal for central ND. Hot, maybe but humid..no. The radio kept forecasting severe storms, infact warnings of how the threat of tornado’s and or straight line winds could be in order. We made way home, with clouds to the west and with the thick ominous air one could almost tell something was brewing. It wasnt until 2am when we were awaken by what sounded like a freight train rolling by the house. We all hit for the basement, well we meaning my daughter and myself as Darren proceeded to stand in the kitchen in front of the windows watching them heave in and out. Didn’t take much convincing and he joined us downstairs as we watched from the basement windows the trees lay over flat with sheets of rain going straight to the south. 10 min into the storm the phone rings and here is MC on the other end talking in a frantic type voice saying our trees went down Ruth…our trees went down. The original farm stead had a tree row with 100 year old ponderosa pines, cedar trees from SD and beautiful old lilac trees. After the storm let up Darren and I decided to take a trip to the farm, this being around 2:45 am. The rain was still coming down but the violent winds had subsided. We traveled out to the road only to find several down trees across the road, which forced us to have to drive highway side to get to the ranch. Upon approach we couldnt not believe our eyes. Even in the dark one could see the massive destruction that was left after the storm. Corn spewed on the road and as we got closer to the homestead we could see some of what would certainly be something left to be beholding too. From what one could see in the dark was devastating. 80 ft trees snapped off laying up against the house with the smell of pine heavy making is smell like Christmas morning. What was to lie in the daylight hours one couldnt imagine. We hoped, we prayed, for the Blessings of God to be upon the ranch with wonders of what happened to the bison herd had to linger until morning.