I am a big freak about storms. Not the kind of freaky that I'm scared of them, I love them. I'll chase them when I can. I think cloud formations are the bomb and lightening is a super charge for me, no pun intended. Anyone who knows me is well aware of these things.

Garrett's mother was traveling up north this afternoon and she sent me a text with this cool cloud pic attached saying "Look at this!"

This image by Kristin Carlton

It was a "tube" cloud, and they are rare.

No sooner do I get her text, her brother who's traveling with her, posts this image on Facebook. He says they were in the area of Old Appleton, Mo. and as they passed under the cloud it almost blew them off the road. Tube cloud by Kyle Cook

This image by Kyle Cook

I showed these images to Garrett (who loves storms almost as much as me) and he says, "I want one here!"

Within 15 minutes Gare was getting his wish.

The wind picked up and we could see the cloud coming across the lake. It was ominous and moving quickly.

I snapped a few pics with my cell phone but with all the trees in the way you just can't see the massive length of it like in the previous two photos. It was across one entire end of the lake and wrapped around out toward the highway.

We could see it through the trees. Garrett says "Let's chase it." So we did.

Out on the highway we could see where it was crossing the Mississippi River. But we were going straight at it and the pics were not doing it justice.

We cut down 177 and then doubled back running up right along side of P&G. This gave it a little more perspective.

We chased it on past P&G, out towards Neeley's Landing, and got a few more shots.

By then most of it had rolled across to the Illinois side of the river.

It was a sight to see, that's for sure.

It was the first time I had seen a "tube" cloud so distinctive in quite some time.