On the roof I watched it coming in from the southwest, over Jersey, over New York Harbor, beyond Governor's Island.
After five minutes of this the first fat drops fell on the roof, and I disappeared down the hatch, battening it behind me. Then it burst over our heads. Thunder that penetrated to the bone and rattled the teeth. One of the lightning strikes was loud and so close that I jumped and lost the memory card I was holding. It's still missing. Rain sweeping from the west and then wheeling to fly in through the open door, from the east. I suppose this is what one expects after the intense and sullen heat of the last two days, but it is still very gratifying.
That was a long line of storms. This is the weather map from weather.com. Who are still posting the wrong temperature.
That was a long line of storms. This is the weather map from weather.com. Who are still posting the wrong temperature.
The temperature has dropped, according to intellicast, by almost 20 degrees, from 92'F to 73'F.
Unbelievable.
It is a beautiful silence, without the roar of the air conditioner.
It is a beautiful silence, without the roar of the air conditioner.
Interesting thing about the cat. While I jumped every time lightning struck, he dozed. He is unfazed by thunder and by fireworks, which we hear often. Perhaps because he grew up in Manhattan, which is noisy and used to storms. All the South African pets I've known have been driven demented by rockets and storms, even hard rain (well, my parents do have a corrugated iron-hybrid roof, which amplifies rain).
What do your pets do?
Yes, that was a bone shaker. Thank God for the temperature drop.
ReplyDeleteCold air aloft, forced down. Maybe more on the way. Nice lightning shot.
ReplyDeleteA little Westie that would shake to the core and have to hide in the closed during storms.
ReplyDeleteI meant closet!
ReplyDeleteMy cat, who grew up in Texas for the first couple years of his life (now 14), LOVES thunderstorms. We don't get them that often in Oregon, but when we do he sits in the window and watches. My dog doesn't pay any attention to fireworks, but is very afraid of thunderstorms.
ReplyDeleteThe only sound that frightens my cat (besides the vacuum, I should say) is gun shots. Actual gun shots echoing from the nearby countryside or cars backfiring close by - he is afraid for hours and has to sit in the highest spot he can find and growl.
Love your storm photos!
those are some fantastic lightning shots. i just heard the madness while i was home for lunch, my curtains were drawn against the sun/heat.
ReplyDeletethese days during a thunderstorm my dog just gets a worried look and oscillates between staring at the window and laying under my desk. she used to bark and whine and distract herself by destroying all of the things, so it's quite an improvement! my foster could give a rat's butt about all that racket but he will stress out about taxis. it's a very weird trade-off...
My two dogs follow me everywhere, very closely, when there is thunder. That's how Bella learned to master the spiral stairs, because I had gone upstairs to unplug my sewing machine and she HAD to stay with me. Coming back down took longer to master; picture me bumping down the steps with Bella on my lap because a 67 year old woman walking down a spiral staircase with a panicky 34 pound dog in her arms just didn't see safe. The cats don't seem to mind too much but, if the storm is in the middle of the night, Bella is on my pillow, Pia is against my chest, and the cats are nearby.
ReplyDeleteOur dog used to get aggressive toward thunder. He would race from one end of the yard to the other barking and trying to keep the sound out of the yard. If we would let him, he would run until he literally made himself lame. Needless to say, I hope, we did not allow him to stay out.
ReplyDeleteA great dog who's now guarding some cloud in doggie heaven!
My feral cat heads for the basement at the first clap of thunder while the Maine Coon is largely unfazed.
ReplyDeleteour calico kitty could care less about the weather. we have 2 rescued huskies and one is fine in storms. the other one stays by my side and gives me little bark alerts. i will hear a hesitant little ruff-ruff in the middle of the night and know a storm is near.
ReplyDeletewe live in the midwest and get plenty of storms.