Cats and Dogs

Felt sure we’d lose power this afternoon. Right on cue, in came the rain from the west as predicted by the weather bureau, a welcome thirst quencher for the dry ground, but a distant rumble of thunder a few hours later heralded more to come. Hurriedly packed up my desk as the sky turned from pale grey to charcoal, hightailed it home amidst the thunder and lightning, not game to put up the brolly in case it became a magnet for the next flash of lightning, just making it to the front door as the heavens opened and really dumped it.

FLASH, cat and dog 1, cat and dog 2, cat and dog 3, cat and dog 4 BOOM……make a cuppa in case the power goes off……FLASH, cat and dog 1, cat and dog 2, cat and dog 3, cat BOOM, ooh, it’s heading this way.

One thing I missed after moving from Queensland was the storms. Though they could be quite scary and sometimes lethal, a good tropical summer storm had a way of heightening your senses and clearing the air. Tasmania’s storms are humble by comparison, so when they do come I feel a surge of expectancy. Not to the extent where I want to subject myself to the elements as do innately stupid TV reporters displaying their ill-timed bravado as they hang on for grim death in the path of a cyclone, simply to get the best footage for the 6 o’clock news.

We have no control over what will unfold, and with Nature seemingly out of control all we can do is look on with fascination, awe and wonder, and sometimes even fear. I’m happy to watch from the safety of home, thankful the garden has received bucket loads of life giving minerals that tap water simply doesn’t provide. There’s the calm before the storm, then there’s the calm after the storm. The sun is out again, there’s barely a breath of wind, and I’m sure the grass is already looking greener.

Running home as thunder booms

sudden storm
for summer’s end