We had a huge hail storm yesterday afternoon that did a lot of damage to our vegetable garden. Fortunately, I was able to cover the tomato plants with a sheet. I didn't think the hail would last very long, but it kept getting worse, and I was sorry I didn't cover the whole garden.



The white area on the edge of the roof is accumulated hail. The stones were marble-size to pea-size, and we were lucky because east of here they were golf-ball size and larger, breaking house windows and ruining cars.

Guests who arrived to stay in the Brown Palace yesterday drove through all that hail to get here. What an experience for them, but they are from Illinois, and I have a feeling they have seen their share of weather.

The guests who left yesterday morning are my second cousins from Dallas. They have five small children, and I was glad they weren't here for the storm because the kids didn't need to see all that. They are headed for Yellowstone, five kids and all their gear packed into some kind of Chevy SUV (not a van), with all sizes of bicycles bristling from both top and back. And in about a week, they will come back for another session of hiking and romping in the yard and the little girls will play with the doll house.

I keep forgetting to take a picture of all of them. Good thing I am afforded the second opportunity.