I'll make this short because my stomach hurts and I feel like someone is ripping my insides out!

 

Last night, Pixel was acting very weird. Instead of flying about she stayed in the same spot looking at me for the most part. Otherwise, she was okay but I still worried for her health, especially since there was no way I could have even called the vet at that hour.

 

At 2 a.m. my mother woke me up saying we had to take shelter because there was a tornado warning. Thankfully, my town was spared but nearby counties weren't so lucky. So far I think the death toll is 20 and there are at least 200 injured, some critically. Ellis Park, a horse racing track, was hit incredibly hard as well. Some of the horses were killed as a result of the barns being destroyed.

 

The last time we had a tornado was in 2000 and it actually did hit here. I didn't have the birds then but you always hear stories of animals knowing when something really bad is near. It's funny how they do it.

 

The worst part about the tornado was that it came so very late at night/early in the morning. No one had time to react, they were all sleeping.

 

So, please keep southern Indiana (US) in your thoughts and prayers. The tornado of 2000 is still fresh in my mind but I still can't begin to imagine what those people are going through.

 

As for Pixel, she seems to be normal again today.

 

*edit*

They pulled an 8 year old little girl from the wreckage alive. I hope she makes it. It's so amazing to see the dogs on TV at work. You can tell they know this is serious and that there is a job to do and that they must help their handlers and people.

Edited November 6, 200519 yr by eterri

that was near you! its on our news here too.

 

glad your okay and pixel can go back to having a normal day.

Yeah, I'm right on the border, across the river from southern Indiana where the tornado hit. The storm moved so quickly though, it was odd. I thought for a while we were going to have a repeat of 2000 but we were lucky. Wish the same could be said for the counties across the river.

ive not seen how bad it is yet - but im certainly thinking of everyone affected by it.

 

did any of your other birdies act funny? people always say that the birds disappear and the skies fall silent just before a storm.

My other ones were acting pretty normal, actually. Piper and Paris were chasing each other around and playing as usual and the cockatiels were acting the same. But Pixel really had me worried. I thought maybe her wing was bothering her but after watching her, it just seemed like she was nervous about something. She played a bit, ate and drank normally, and her droppings were normal but she didn't fly over to the playgym like she normally would. When the other birds took off, she didn't get startled. For the most part, she stood on top of the cage and looked down at me, chirped every now and then and just observed.

Edited November 6, 200519 yr by eterri

how strange. its amazing really - i wonder how pixel sensed it and not the others? do you think it is something to do with air pressure?

It may be the air, yeah. I did have the window open...maybe the wind was upsetting her?

 

I think my other birds are just dense sometimes. I know I've had dogs in the past that seemed to pick up on severe weather but others that didn't. And the dog I have now picks up on just about everything.

 

A few weeks ago I was in my room hanging out with the birds and I heard Mitzi throwing such a fit in my mother's room. I waited forever but finally went in to see what was up. I looked out the window and my nephew was in the yard with another little boy playing with fire in my mother's barbecue!!! My nephew was poking a huge stick in there to get it hot, he whipped around and it hit the other boy in the arm. I was down there in a flash and told my mother off about not watching them carefully enough.

 

Once that was taken care of, Mitzi shushed and didn't make a peep anymore.

 

A few years ago my parents had Mitzi taken to the pound because she'd become destructive. I was obviously really upset by it but a few days later she was back home, begging at the kitchen window and barking. And she had a hair cut. I'm guessing someone adopted her, went to get her groomed, and she escaped. But she would've had to find her way home from an area where she had never been before.

 

And then, I know of a dog I once had that wouldn't have been able to find her way out of a wet paper bag. I loved her though.

Glad to hear you and your birds are okay eterri. It's horrible the amount of storms and natural disasters which are happening in the US at the moment. I've heard that some animals do have a sort of sixth sense and can pick up on things, it probably was something to do with a environmental change that pixel picked up on.

well changes from high to low pressure in the atmosphere can cause headaches in humans so i reckon its something similar.

Oh Terri, my heart dropped when I read your post. I am so glad you are okay, and that no damage was done. Will pray for you, and your town. Keep safe

I was up most of last night because of that storm system. I had the worst headache ever. Luckily the worst of it was south of here. I feel terrible for those who were hit by the tornados.

Hugs Terri, we are here right next to you in Ohio and the winds were so strong yesterday they actually knocked over our fire pit. There were T. Storm warning all day, the weather was horrible. We probably pretty much mirror the same weather you are just a state down. Keep safe!

This was on the news tonight, and I wondered if it hit in your area since they said it touched down in KY and then crossed over to Evansville. I'm so glad it did not and you are safe.

I saw it on our late night news last night, we even lost power for 3 hours yesterday in the morning. There were lines down everywhere here. Keep safe, today looks like a beautiful day and the outlook is in the 60's for the rest of the week until Thursday here we are going to get more rain.

glad tohear you are alright and everyone is in my prayers

Glad to hear everyone is alright, but there were so many people that were not

 

We had a tornado that touched down about 1/4 of a mile away from our house last summer, which is really rare in our area. It was a very horrific storm!

This is just a "please keep safe" message to all our friends in USA

Cindy