June 2, 2013

Post date: Jun 2, 2013 2:41:55 PM

Sunday, June 2 @0915 CDT: Well, this chase trip is over for me. I will be flying back to Florida later today. (...and then probably sleep for a solid week...) Best wishes to the Tour 3 chasers and to Brad and Gene who will be showing them some of the best storms Mother Nature has to offer. I hope they get to see some phenomenal stuff!

As for me, Tour 1 was a blast and we got to see some great stuff and all had a lot of fun. We drove 4596 miles (7397 km) and saw some great storms! Tour 2 was, to be honest, a total roller-coaster. We went through the agonizing loss a dear friend and long-time Cloud 9 Tours chaser Chris Curtis when he died of a massive heart attack early in the tour... felt the pain and suffering of Moore, OK and El Reno, OK... felt the sheer joy and jubilation of Lori and Charles as new parents... agonized over the loss of a friend and well-respected chaser, Tim Samaras (and his son, Paul, and another chaser, Carl Young) when they were killed in the El Reno tornadoes... witnessed the power, the beauty and the devastation wreaked by Mother Nature... and most importantly, experienced it all as a family, since we *are* a family.

We experienced all that in 14 days... and 5144 miles (8278 km). Amazing, huh?

Anyway, I am mentally and physically spent... and now it's time for me to head home.