Thunderstorm Thoughts
On the horizon a cloud of a peculiar shape may be seen banking itself up like a huge puff of steam. The thunder-cloud is a dense black, and forms overhead. If you watch it, you can see it growing like an army preparing for battle.
William S Walsh
Large drops of rain soon began to fall, and, as the storm clouds came sailing onward, others supplied the boid they left behind and sprad over all the sky. Then was heard the low rumbling of distant thumder, then the lighning quivered, and then the darkness of an hour seemed to have gathered in an instant. Charles Dickens
Thunderstorms are amazing spectacles of nature, and each one is incredibly unique! There may be lightning and thunder. Intense localized downpours may occur or there may be hail…or there may be no precipitation at all. Always, gusty strong winds swirl in unpredictable ways…tossing tree branches wildly in their fierce movements.
The child in me will always love some of the aspects of summer thunderstorms. This August, I was out in the afternoon one day when a thunderstorm unleashed itself on the local area. Initial raindrops were quickly followed by an intense downpour. Puddles formed, plants quickly turned a happy deep green. The wonderful smell of wet earth and dampness made me want to dance in the rain. The temperature went from 88 degrees to 68 degrees in minutes, and, as it did so, my hot weather lethargy disappeared, and I felt re-energized and invigorated!
Rain is beautiful when it comes hurried and passionate, fleeing from the storm wind, hurled, like a volley of small musketry, against your streaming panes…
John Richard Vernon
The child in me will always love some of the aspects of summer thunderstorms. This August, I was out in the afternoon one day when a thunderstorm unleashed itself on the local area. Initial raindrops were quickly followed by an intense downpour. Puddles formed, plants quickly turned a happy deep green. The wonderful smell of wet earth and dampness made me want to dance in the rain. The temperature went from 88 degrees to 68 degrees in minutes, and, as it did so, my hot weather lethargy disappeared, and I felt re-energized and invigorated!
The adult in me understands that thunderstorms may be beneficial or harmful in many ways. Rain often brings welcome summer moisture but can also cause devastating flash flood. Lightning and thunder may look and sound magical but can spark fires. In a good wet year, some of those forest fires are healthy-for-the-forest low burns, but on hot dry years with tinder ready foliage, lightning can spark fires that cause massive destruction over more than a hundred thousand acres per single fire!
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So, as with many things in life, I try to hold onto the wonder of a child while also understanding that many things in this world are a mish mash of benefits and challenges. On that August thunderstorm day, I knew that I would eventually check the news for information on flooding or fires, but on that afternoon, I simply relished the cool feel of a sudden downpour and wild beauty of a thunderstorm.