We could hear the storm coming Saturday afternoon. And I hurried to feed Annablle, the Corriente calf we have mothered since her mother died when she was three days old. Lightning was roaming the sky to the west, and it was quickly darkening. Annabelle finished off three bottles, and then went off to join the herd.

Annabelle enjoys a meal

Our guests, Corey and Sara Anderson, joined Larry and me on the back porch with all our dogs, of course. And the sky opened. Wind swirled around the hail that punctuated the driving rain.

Larry and Max as hailstorm begins

Can you see all the hail in the photo?

Corey took these great pictures of Larry and Max enjoying the storm. For most of the summer the storms have skirted us, coming agonzingly close, but leaving us with just a spit of rain. Saturday we got a blessed inch and a quarter, and by Sunday afternoon the ranch was the rich green of Ireland once again. The horses, cows, plants and humans are all happy and grateful.