Hail that could kill!

Late yesturday afternoon a storm rolled through the mountains. Nothing unusual for here we have been getting plenty of that lately. Most of the time it's been just a bit of rain or a dry storm. However the frequency of hail is becoming a weekly event.

I was out in the yard doing some tidying up around the garden edges and trying to make it all look a little more respectable out there instead of the grass over growing every where. If it was up to me we would have no lawn. However we have a dog so she really needs her space to run around. Being a Kelpie all the more space the better.
Whilst out there black clouds came over a bit of light rain and a whole lotta noise. I ignored it all as I really wanted to make some progress and frankly could not care less about getting wet. After completing one side of the yard edging I ventured over to one of the vegie patches to inspect how some of the fruit and vegetables were comming along. A lot more noise and heavier ran apeared whilst in there and it became even more dark. So I thought it would be best if I did head indoors.

Lucky I did as no sooner had I poured myself a drink and had a mouthful full on heavy ran came down and then the hail started whilt I walked over to the door to watch it come down. When i say hail I mean big huge pieces of hail the size of a tennis ball. Had I decided to ignore the storm some more no dought I would hve been in a bad way if not absolutely covered in giant bruises.
The family stood and watched this hail come on down for a good five minutes which then turned to average sized hail for another five minutes or so. It was then that I grabbed the umbrella a raced out to check the chooks and chicks.

Two stupid hens were out in the pen huddled together and watching the spectical around them. The rest were hiding up in the hutch.The chicks were fine huddled up together under the tarp I have over their area.

On the way back to the house I grabbed a piece of the larger hail to show the kids and of course take pic to blog about it. This was now a good ten minutes after the hail had stopped and it still was huge.

That in her let hand is the hail and a standard ice cube in her right

Checked on the gardens today and only damage was a number leaves of the apple trees and some leaf damage to the eggplants.