Tornado season approaches.

I grew up in the Midwest, and I was accustomed to the dangers of the spring tornado season. Our grade school teachers taught the history of the 1920 tornado that devastated the parish and town. I feared tornadoes more than monsters. The siren sounds sent me bolting to the basement. As an adult, I've kept a list of items to grab when the warnings approach. Among those items are three leashes: I don't want the dogs loose if the outcome is grave.

My Parents expressed surprise about how common tornadoes are in this part of the country. They didn't recall hearing about tornadoes in Lithuania. Tornadoes, they explained, are rare in Europe—although there was a tornado last year in Venice.

Here is a photo of a funnel cloud in Lithuania. My Dad's cousin, Henry, likely captured the image:

Near Kaunas, Lithuania, 1925. Thanks to my Kaunas Cousin for making this image available to us.