We had a sharp storm that is now pummeling the Northwest. I am also suffering from the annual flu bug. Yesterday, I started to walk outside. My 9 month old Tomcat began a very vocal performance, leaping in the air at me and finally grabbing onto my denim jeans with all four paws and began to bite me <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> I untangled us twice. I had the door half opened when KA-BOOM!!! a huge Oaktree succumbed to root rot and took out 2 cars and half the APT roof. There was a shattered branch of 2 1/2' diameter filling the stairwell I would have descended moments earlier. My nieghbor said her 13 y/o cat was also agitated and vocal moments before the tree came down.

I'm getting a cat! <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Absolutely. I don't know if man ever developed such senses along the way, but we sure don't have them now. At least, not to the extent that our furry friends do. I hope the young tom earned a healthy portion of tuna, lol.

Our power was knocked out too. I cooked with the wonderfull dutch ovens out on the porch for half the complex. Piewacket got his own stew of canned caribou meat and condensed milk from my Esbit stove and camp mug. Hes stretched out on his back between the keyboard and the monitor proofreading this with his paw swatting the curser <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Chris: Hope your apartment complex inhabitants have a better appreciation for preparedness. At least for you.

Cat: Good job, next time don't sink your talons quite so deep and you may just get some extra helpings for a few more days. <img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Re: Animals:
Just before hurricane Andrew came through here, we noticed a marked increase in insect activity, mainly ants on the move >BIGTIME<. During subsequent hurricane near hits, I have kept an eye on the insects and the closer storms seem to get, the more activity I've observed. The kids would ask why I kept looking at the bugs, which lead to a learning moment. They pointed out that they didn't see as many birds either. YMMV

ps Chris, hope is was not your set of wheels that the tree hit. <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Observing animals is a whole study worth time. Native peoples have a whole repertoir of observations; observing birds flying in the morning to water, bears en mass fleeing the presence of a huge male ( later shot and dressed out @ 12') to mention a few. As for my car? sadly it was not <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> A new Beemer and a Mercedes SUV were crushed. My ancient Volvo right next to them had a few more leafs and debri on it.

Hmmm when I read the subject of this post I tought that Chris is going to talk about what my parents told me when I was little so the following will be little off the roof response. I was told that on Christmas Day at midnight all animals talk in human voices. Maybe it was a way to keep me awake until midnight mass but I've met a lot of people from Poland who belive in that. My dad always went out that night to the barn and thanked his animals for a good year and hard labor. But now coming back to the topic... Chris I'm glad that you and everything is ok.

Matt

Matt, I was told the same story. I always go out to the Horses on Christmas Eve.They get an extra ration of grain, diced carrots and Guiness beer. After all these years our conversations are so fluent in body language and nickers english would be awkward. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sorry to hear about the damage. I grew up in a farming region in Ohio. My mom always seemed to know when a storm was coming. When I asked her how she knew, she said to listen to the birds and the insects. Over time, I learned also and have taught my children the same lessons. I'm always amazed at how accurate these animal signs are.

-Torus

We always know when a thunderstorm is coming, as our male lab goes totally nuts to the approaching storm. At least 20-30 minutes ahead of our being able to detect the storm, he starts whining, wants to hide (fireplace, bathtub, under the bed), as the storm gets closer he starts to shake uncontrollably and has had the occasional accident inside. It has become worse with age, so we now tranquilize him as soon as he starts to demonstrate panic signs.

Also, and if I had not been there, I may not have believed it. A few years ago we responded to a chest pain call. The gentleman was laying on his couch conscious and alert, his wife was nearby in the living room, his dog (I can't remember the breed) was cornered in the kitchen by a folding gate. We hooked up the cardiac monitor and were in the process of taking vitals and interviewing the patient when suddenly the dog starts howling. Within seconds the patient became unconscious and unresponsive, with v-tach showing on the cardiac monitor. Fortunately, we were able to successfully treat the patient, who eventually regained consciousness, but during the entire time the dog continued to howl. As soon as his owner regained consciousness, he stopped. It stood the hair on the back of our necks straight up the whole time. Pete