“Is that thunder?” I hear a faint rumble in the distance that might be a jet plane. Another rumble echoes in the west. Yes. A storm is moving closer but will it continue in our direction or veer off to the north and disappear?
Hubbie and I are sitting on the deck, looking out over the lake, relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. Mr. Magoo, the pug, rests on a small rug at my feet. Abby, the big dog, snoozes on her assigned bed, an ancient, down-filled WWII sleeping bag. We’ve been enjoying a calm, sunny summer day but now are in for a change.
Dark clouds thicken, and suddenly the little birds darting through the juneberry and hazelnut bushes disappear. As the clouds move closer, Dick points to a lightning flash across the lake, down at the far end. It’s followed by a thunder peal. The storm isn’t moving north, it’s heading in our direction. Seems Mother Nature has declared “Showtime!”
Abby looks up apprehensively, then relaxes, dropping her large head back on her bed. She doesn’t like thunder but only panics at sharp cracks and booms. That isn’t happening yet.
“This is fun,” I comment. “Let’s stay out and watch the storm.” Dick agrees, and we hunker down. Our deck is big enough for a square dance, and we are positioned right up against the wall, so we might be able to experience it without getting wet.
We watch and comment on the huge billowing cloud formations. Suddenly, the sky directly overhead darkens dramatically, turning a sinister black-gray. Thunder booms echo. Twin lightning flashes split the sky directly across the lake. Things are getting exciting.
Within minutes the full brunt of wind, thunder and lightning hit. An enormous flash of lightning crackles violently overhead. A thunder blast resounds directly above, followed by another sharp lightning crack. Abby scurries to Magoo’s rug and drops down next to him. She doesn’t like this. At all.
Large raindrops patter on the roof soon replacing the thunder and lightning that race east. Still we stay where we are. “Not getting wet yet,” I declare but, within minutes, an explosion of heavy rain rampages over the deck railing, and dampened, we scurry into the house where we continue watching the show from the front window.
The most exciting part of the storm ends, but rain continues falling in thick sheets. Finally, the downpour decreases, leaving a light rain gently falling on the eaves. The sun peeks from a gradually clearing sky, and two hours after the storm began it’s over.
Sun shines on a bright, clean world. Little birds begin darting through the underbrush.
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