The Storm

Simply put, I love storms. Watching a storm roll in is like a beautiful, majestic event that promises adventure and thrilling, powerful displays of sound and sight.

Sitting on the deck, I can see the dark clouds off on the horizon. Tall and ominous, they look like distant, angry mountains. The sound of far-off rumbling thunder -- the anticipation of stunning light displays only nature could provide -- the fresh smell of far-off rain -- all excite my senses and imagination.

As the storm nears, the wind plays in the trees -- gently at first, with just a swaying of the branches. The sky begins to darken slowly, but the dark clouds coming are still a stark contrast. They are seething and rolling with the deepest, darkest colors of gray. Somehow, they look laden with rain. In fact, I can actually see torrents of rain falling from them as they grow.

They seem to have joined each other now, in a roiling ocean of waves that are covering the sky. They look exactly like a raging sea. Just the sight of the power of nature is astounding. The wind steadily increases, moving the tree-limbs majestically. Dramatic flashes of lightning dart through the coming clouds like bright flashes of skeletal, electrical fingers.

As the storm arrives, the tree-limbs now thrash, at the mercy of the wind. The first few fat, tentative drops of rain splatter. Overhead, the sea of cloud-waves are smashing against each other in the waterlogged sky, displaying every shade of gray, occasionally mixed with islands of white.

The thunder now rolls. This is no average storm where the sky just changes color. This is a display of power, with the dark clouds moving in, around, and circling each other, bashing each other like behemoths flexing their muscles while throwing massive, segmented spears of blinding power at the earth. It is a breathtakingly beautiful spectacle.

Then the rain cascades from the sky as if thrown by something massive, angry and powerful. It is a stinging, drenching downpour that sometimes obliterates all objects more distant than your own hand from view. Thunder that shakes the house just reminds me of how good it is to be cozy and comfy at home.

Of course, I am inside now, watching nature's show through the picture window while reading a book and drinking a nice glass of wine.

I'm warm and cozy.

Ahh... I love this.