noisy night

I was up late last night revelling in a thunder and lightening display. Luckily, there was also quite a bit of rain.

I turned out the lights, turned off the television, opened the blinds, sat in my recliner, and enjoyed!

Naomi and I are strangely addicted to thunder and lightening. I remember the time we were trapped in the gazebo that Bud and Elaine had at the edge of Lake Waubesa. The winds were so wild that we didn't dare take the chance to walk back up to the house for fear of falling branches. Tornado warnings were out and the winds were so fierce that the rain actually flew through the screens parallel to the ground. We were planning to sleep out there, so we had a sleeping bag. We huddled in the sleeping bag with our faces wet, singing and telling stories and just enjoying the fact that we were alive. Every once in a while we would flash our flashlight back at the house so Bud and Elaine would know we were still ok. The power of unleashed nature is fantastic.

I realize that for some people being caught in the power of unleashed nature is far from fun. We could mention those who lived through Katrina, for one example. Because I have not been injured or made homeless by nature, I suppose my attitude is slightly unrealistic.

We have weathered fierce storms when we were camping in tents. We were herded into storm shelters at the campground, or once we got in the car and drove far enough away to be out of harm's way. Then, in the morning, we took all of our stuff in to the laundramat to be run through the drier!

Once we came back to find our tent twisted so that we had to replace the aluminum pipe superstructure to keep going on our trip. We dried out all of our stuff on the grass and George went and finally found a pipe fitter guy who would replace the supports. (dar un jeito, as they say in Brazil). Peter was 11 and John was four. They were very relieved to find that we could continue on our trip. Such fantastic memories. I LOVE CAMPING.

There are those who quiver in fear at the very sound of thunder in the distance. My friend Bev is an example. She was raised in Oklahoma where the tornadoes are fierce. She was terrified of any wind storm. But I am just energized by the sound.

When George was young, his friend had a black lab named Pokey. (short for Pochahontas) That dog was simply terrified by thunder. One day, after a warning rumble, she catapulted herself through the front screen door and made for under a bed. The screen door was closed at the time, but that was no impediment to her! I wonder what she would have done if the inside door was also closed?

Are you scared by storms or energized by them? I think my Viking blood is fired up by danger. The wildness of the weather is so beautiful.