Thunderstorms

I spent a good portion of my growing up years in South Carolina. I knew the beauty and the danger of thunder and lightning (why do people go out into the ocean on blow-up rafts in the middle of thunderstorms?). As a child, I remember sitting near an open window, feeling the wet storm breeze coming in through the screen, a sweet reprieve from oppressive heat.

When I moved to Delaware, the thunderstorms got fewer and less fierce, but I still would park myself in front of a window to watch and catch the breeze when I could.

The move to Maine, twenty years ago, robbed me of my summer storms. Sure, the weatherman might say there was going to be a thunderstorm. Hah! Pretender storm more like it. Perhaps a bolt of lightening, one wimpy round of thunder, a puff of breeze. Granted, the summers are cool here (70s and 80s are more usual than 90s). But still, I missed my storms.

Until this year. This year, we have had several storms a week for the last few weeks. Real storms -- lightning that cracks jaggedly from cloud to ground and thunder that shakes the house. We're predicted to have more this week. Even though it means unplugging my computer (my parents had their modem zapped by -- FL -- lightning once), I welcome the storms. It really feels like August to me (we even got a few days in the 90s last week!).

Here's hoping your summer brings you at least one of the things you love about the season.

Kelly