God Put on a Show Tonight

This evening,  Suzy and I were trying to discuss plans for our big party coming up, when God stepped in and said, "Shut up, I want to show you something."

I was trying to say something, and I kept interrupting myself with "Wow!" Or "All Right." And paying attention out the sliding door.

Suzy, of course, being the dutiful wife, would be looking at me and away from the sliding door, so she didn't get to say "Wow!" Or "All Right."

When God interrupts, it's a good idea to take notice, so we opened the sliding door, took two chairs out to the porch and sat watching the lightning storm east of us over the Dragoon Mountains.

Now, I consider myself a pretty good photographer. I've photographed grizzly bears, caribou, rivers and waterfalls. I've captured fireworks and rainstorms. I can get close to flowers and lizards. But I've never photographed lightning, and tonight was no exception.

But at least we sat out and saw the display. There were vertical lightning bolts, there were some that seemed nearly horizontal, there were some that seemed to be half circles on the way down. Some flashes were behind clouds, but most were right out in front. Most flashes were single line, but they were outclassed by the occasional multi-forked shots, looking like Neptune's trident striking at the earth.

There was little thunder noise at first, but after about twenty minutes we began to hear a little rumbling. The storm seems to have come from New Mexico and was trying to build up enough enthusiasm to be part of our Monsoon rainy season.

Another sight we have from our front porch is Interstate 10 coming west down from the Dragoons. So many headlights flowing this way, seeming to be fleeing the electricity from the sky.

Now at 8:15, our sky overhead is reflecting the bolts, and the storm is definitely creeping our way. Not stealthily, but openly, like an invading army. And the flashes are getting brighter and more frequent. The thunder is breaking over our home, and a few raindrops have hit the awning.

Hey wait! I did get one photo of lightning!

(The squiggly color at the bottom is not fire. I had to hand hold the camera for 30 seconds, so that's local lights getting all shook up!)


It's 8:45 now, and the show is right above us, bright and loud, and the rain is falling to beat the band. The storm will continue moving west, but we'll get the benefit of the rain!

Thank you, God, for the wonderful light and sound show! And, of course, for the life-giving rain.What a blessing for ... our Life on Wheels!