be prepared

Despite the fact that I haven't posted much this summer, plenty of humorous things have happened. Take, for example, when I went home for a couple weeks and realized that my parents, in their zeal to be prepared for natural disasters, may be creating one. Mom and Dad, over the last year or two, have gotten into the ham radio communications. This, I think, it approximately the ultimate in preparation. However, imagine my surprise when I arrived home and noticed the ham radio antenna attached to our house to improve reception. We live in the middle of a small clearing. An incredibly long metal pole is attached to our house, rising up to the sky like a....well, like a lightning rod. Nothing like a good lightning storm to make things exiting at the Marshall house.