Thunderstorms

I like Thunderstorms. The summer brings with it many things: Beach trips, BBQs, Warm weather, Popsicles, Bee stings, humidity, etc. But one of my favorite summertime traditions is the Thunderstorm.

The eerie calm that fills the air before the action begins. There's that smell in the air of rain, stuffing your nostrils as the humidity swelters to capacity. The drip, drip of the first drops, getting larger and larger with each splash against your naked arm. The flash on the horizon, followed by a low-rumble of the oncoming deluge. Then suddenly--BAM! © Emeril Lagasse

And much differently then the misty rain that we all hate, the Thunderstorm is welcomed with open arms. You tend not to run for shelter, but accept the refreshing solution to summer's hottest afternoons. You embrace the Thunderstorm. All around you are rain drops exploding like water balloons throw with giddiness from the heavens. Rivers of water appear out of nowhere on the street. Lightning pops from the sky in all directions, met almost instantaneously with the crack of thunder, no longer just an afterthought miles away. Swirling winds surround you, swallow you up and create a chaotic symphony conducted by Mother Nature. And then--as quickly as it had begun, it is over.

The calm returns, but its no longer eerie, but serene. The remnants of the Thunderstorm and all the moving parts are everywhere, lit by the peeking sunlight. A sign of the chaos being over rises in the sky as a rainbow, met with a grumbling reminder of the storm in the distance that was there only minutes before. Ahh, Thunderstorms are great.