Thunderstorms

I think today will be a slackerly day. I was up for a minute and it started storming here, so I unplugged all computer stuff and I’m watching the news and weather. I’ll cut off the TV in a moment. George of course won’t go outside. Not even when there’s dew on the grass, so when it’s raining, I think he’ll burst before he does anything in the house. Cat I put out early and can’t find her now. I know she’s got someplace she goes when it rains, but even with me walking around the house calling her, she won’t come out. I did run out and get the weedeater I left with the snakes last night. Bravery comes in all forms.

Uh oh. The cable just went out and the lights are starting flicker. Lighting is getting real close and thunder is very loud. I hope this passes pretty fast. We’ve been lucky in the past, with no tornadoes close to here, but they always touch down about 25-30 miles away when they do hit. The weather said earlier that this morning won’t be bad, but this afternoon they’re saying maybe more sever storms.

This storm started me thinking about my Mom. She has always been terrified of bad storms. I remember as a kid she would put all of us under a bed and sit of top of the bed when they would come through, or she would put us in the car and drive up and down the muddy dirt road we lived on. Now we know, that’s the worst thing to do. But she was and is a Mom that would do anything to protect her children. This was when I was growing up on a farm in Arkansas. The nearest town to us was about 17 miles away and had a pop of 47. So you were pretty much on you own. We had plenty of friends around, but they were in the same boat a lot of times.

I can remember as a kid while we were driving up and down the road, what was the big deal? I kept thinking this is fun. The car fishtailing on the road, the lighting exploding not far away, the wind blowing so hard the fields of cotton and soy beans would almost look flattened. To me this was a great light show and a carnival ride at the same time. Looking back we were lucky we never got stuck in a ditch, but my Mom was a good driver.

I look at thunderstorms differently now and I’m more cautious than before.
Although I don’t drive out in thunderstorms, I still do have that kids wonder and amazement at lighting and thunder.