Storm Chasing

Having the dubious distinction of being the only person who has not seen thunder and lightning over the past few weeks, today was an opportunity to put that right. The last big storm I was witness to was during a shipwreck so I have since been a tad twitchy when the rumbling starts. Living now in a house with no curtains in a totally unlit place, the prospect of lightning at night has seen me cowering under the quilt.
Today the clouds gathered at the back of the house, went purple, then the sun went in. It was essential that I went into town to see the welfare people who were closing in half an hour, and are only open Mondays. I left Deccy curled up uneasily on the settee and went outside. There was not a breath of wind but the thunder was quite loud. I saw sheet lightning not far away. Starting up the car, I headed up the lane then realised that the storm was right over the town. In for a penny, in for a pound so instead of going in via the main road I turned off and took the narrow lane over the hill which overlooks the town, and from where you can see five Counties on a clear day. Well today was certainly not clear and as I took the fork to take me past the church and into town, the mother of all storms hit ferociously. Gale force winds battered the car, all trees and hedges were horizontal and the rain was so hard you couldn't see beyond the bonnet. The view over the valley, such as it was, had changed into a crazy electrical display and I hoped that the lightning conductor on the church spire was wired up with no breaks in it!
With great difficulty, I eased the car down the other side of the hill and managed to park without hitting the almost invisible cars already huddling kerbside. By then, the rain had eased to a normal downpour, the main street was unusally empty and the footpath which was on a steep slope had turned into a waterfall!
I'm glad I went out in it. I won't be so fearful now if a similar storm hits at night. Well I don't think so ... but I may have a quivering wreck of a dog beside me!

I love thunderstorms - especially if they're accompanied by torrential rain. Baz and I were the only daft beggars out in them when we were in Florida a couple of years ago. Nature at it's most impressive, IMO.

I use to be terrified of them when I was younger.I overcame my fear when I had the Children.
I know the rain was not safe for driving but being in a car in a storm is apparently the safest place as they are earthed.