... and I looked at Jim and said,

"we are going to die."  only the words didn't actually make it out.

What am I talking about?  Let me backtrack.

Last night I was calmly sitting in my big comfy upstairs gaming chair, finally finding an opportunity to catch up on FolkLore, enjoying the fact that all the children were snug in their beds, and having a non-sensical conversation with Jim on some random topic.  When suddenly I didn't so much hear, as feel a sound.  A low rumbling sound.  The sound akin to the low grumbling growl of a vicious dog about to attack.  The kind of sound that stops all amusement.  The sound got progressively louder, in an unidentifiable way.  I remember looking at Jim and thinking this is what it feels like right before you die... seriously, I really thought that.  And then when the sound was unbearable, and the house was shaking, and I felt certain that we were truly going to die, the sound faded.  I remember Jim and I looking at each other with huge round eyes and then we both bolted down the stairs to try to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that had just flown over.

Jim is an incredible airplane buff.  He comes by it honestly as his Grandpoppy was a pilot in the USAF, and his g'grandparents were both pilots.  So it was with great faith that I followed Jim out into the dark driveway at 11:15pm to get a id on that plane.  But alas, I was to be disappointed as Jim was unable to get a clear view of it and ascertained that it was a helicopter.

Now, I'm no slouch with airplanes either.  My dad worked on airplanes in the USAF and loved to go to airshows and you just don't live with somebody who loves planes without some of it rubbing off.  So I begged to differ with Jim, it was no helicopter.  Helicopters don't sound like that.  Jim gave me his I-know-more-about-this-than-you-do look (which, in his defense, he rarely unleashes) and stood by his helicopter prediction.  10 minutes later it flew back over again, same as before painfully, house-shakingly, scarily low.  We assumed it was one of the medical helicopters and went to bed. 

And that was that, only....

Tonight as we were settling down for bed and I was once again trying to figure out the trick to beating the HellsRealm level of Folklore, I heard that same low distant rumble.  This time Jim didn't wait and dashed down the stairs to the driveway to get a quick visual.  I followed more casually, fussing and fuming as it had awaken Xander and he was fearful that it was crashing into the house.  And seriously, it did sound like it was!  It only took a moment to get him back to sleep and then I was off to join the rest of the family on the porch. 

We were definitely going to get a visual tonight!!  So we waited.  Now, you have to understand, my family notices things.  Little things.  It's annoying, but it's what we do.  When the plane had flown over the first time, we all marked the time, mentally.  When it flew over again, we noticed it was a 10 minute lapse.  So M went to check the clock and just as she was coming back out to say it was time, we heard the rumbling start up again.  This time, we got visual.

I must say I have never in my life seen an aircraft fly that low over our property.  It's flashing red and green lights literally lit up the tree by our house.  Literally.  I yelled at it that it was entirely too low.  Like it heard me.  But I felt better for it.

That's when I noticed Jim doing his happy-guy-that's-so-neat-I-could-pee dance in the driveway, punctuated by his periodic outbursts of "Sweeet!!"

Jim had id-ed our night-time disrupter.  It flew over 2 more times so Jim was able to confirm, but we are apparently in an exercise pattern for a V22 Osprey.  So Jim and I were both right.  It's kind of a helicopter, and it's kind of a plane.  But it's definitely LOUD!

Here's a video I found, be sure to turn your volume way up and imagine your windows shaking!