THUNDERSTORMS

When I was a child, we vacationed at a cottage on Lake Erie. We had a lot of fun there - sail-boating, swimming, playing in the sand, 'shopping' at the penny candy store. Some of my best memories at the Lake are of thunderstorms. Storms would usually come from the west and, therefore, come in over the lake. Hours before we could see the storm, boaters would start speeding into the harbor, then the waves would pick up, ultimately we'd hear the first crack of thunder and would know a storm was coming. With my dad serving as chaperon, we'd stay down by the lake (usually hiding behind trees to avoid being pelted by blowing sand) to watch the storm come onto land. It was beautiful and powerful (and sometime dangerous). But I loved it. I loved that the storm touched each of my five senses and I loved being there to watch the storm move and develop and ultimately disappear.

Today, sitting on my front porch, I had the opportunity to watch a storm come into DC. First the wind started to pick up, then the temperature dropped, and finally the first faint sound of thunder could be heard. By the time I looked up from my book, I could see the storm marching right down my street. The storm was moving west to east and I could not have had a better view. Slowly the dark clouds got closer and closer and the smell of rain was in the air. I could not yet see the lightening, but knew that it was there because the horn on the crane at the construction site at the end of my street blew indicating that they were turning the machine off and the operator (more than 8 stories above group) was coming down. Soon after the horn, I saw the lightening. And then, without any warning, the skies opened up and the rain began to fall. Within minutes the wind picked up and the rain started failing horizontally. I had to move off of the porch and take in the rest of the storm from indoors.

The storm has now moved on; leaving behind a steady fall of rain and some faint rumbles of thunder. I'm so grateful that I had the time to just enjoy the storm today. With nothing pressing on my 'to do' list, I spent more than 45 minutes watching the storm arrive, display its power, and then leave the area. It was magical; a moment I hope I do not soon forget.

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School: had my first summer school class yesterday. It went well, but had a LONG trip home from Baltimore. My train got stuck two stations south of Baltimore. It took me more than three hours to get home - a long first day back.

Reading: Eight pages of Guns, Germs, and Steel left. I went to the library this morning and checked out The Kite Runner, Michael Phelps' Beneath the Surface (getting geared up for the summer Olympics!!), The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, and a book full of crochet patterns (I'm feeling crafty)

Recommendations: I highly recommend folks read Guns, Germs, and Steel. I also recommend Smuckers natural chunky peanut-butter and iced-chai tea (especially the kind that can be bought at Teaism in DC).