This is a really great week for a blog break for me because I am up to my eyeballs in video/slideshow editing for my in laws 50th wedding anniversary! I will definitely be checking in with details about all of that next week, but I thought I should at least drop a line in regards to national headlines that SPARKED on Monday.
I recieved calls from relatives across the country checking in to make sure that we were safe. Safe from what? was my initial reaction until I went outside to see the huge cloud of smoke in the air. The news broke around 11:00 am. There had been a massive explosion at a chemical plant that is just over one mile away from our house!

Helicopter photo I found online

As I went to get groceries that afternoon I got a slightly better view and I just stared in shock saying “I have NEVER seen anything like this in my entire life.”

My latest instagram

Z responded that he had never seen anything like that in his whole life either. He was a little scared that the scary smoke alien was following us, but fortunately this was not the case. In fact other than being able to see it, and watching buses bring evacuated children out of nearby schools I was completely unaffected by the event. I texted a friend of mine whose husband works for Magna Blend which is where the fire occured and not only is he okay, but everyone that was in the building even when it happened made it out uninjuried. So praise the Lord for that. I drive by this place almost every single day when I get on the highway and even 3 days later the smell is overwhelming! It’s almost like a combination of an overdone Turkey, 4th of July fireworks, and a science expirement gone bad. When we drove by after church last night there were still many rescue workers on the scene and you could see the smoldering orange glow.
The reports are saying that our post chemical explosion air quality in Waxahachie is completely safe and so I personally have not held off on the breathing at this point. Obviously I’m grateful that everyone is safe. Now I just have to get through photographing two big events this weekend, and that could be explosive on another level.