Gentle Thunder

2007-08-08

The rumbling in my dwelling meant one of three things. Either a military convoy was speeding down my tiny, side street, or a neighbor got a new super stereo and was playing "Sounds of World War II", or there were thunder showers.

Though I had turned in early for the evening, the thunder prompted me to get up and check the weather. A glance out the window showed gentle showers with little wind. There was an occasional flash of light between the clouds followed, after a short wait, by easy-going thunder.

Not satisfied with my knowledge of the situation, and not energetic enough to get dressed sufficiently for a romp outside, I fired up the web browser to check out local radars. (Follow the KGAN link in the navigation pane to the left.) The state was covered in rain of various degrees. A very large part was covered in festive reds and yellows. Choosing the radar loop option showed that the huge mass of storms was headed my way.

An article on the news page suggested just how strong the storms were. In southern Iowa, Interstate 35 was closed down due to heavy rains and 70 mile per hour winds. It seems that three semis were blown off the road. There was no guess on when the highway would be re-opened. You may be familiar with Interstate 35 because of its recent difficulties involving a bridge in Minnesota.

Thunder makes me very relaxed. I love to sleep to the sound of a storm; it feels like home. There was one morning when this was not quite the case. I was in bed half-asleep and listening to the gentle thunder shower outside my window. My radio alarm clock went off, playing the intro to the Doors song "Riders on the Storm". The rain sounds of the song blended with the rain outside. Then the music started. I sat straight up, eyes wide, and very, very awake.

Though I used to get excited (not that way) about the approach of the big storms, maturity has given me more foresight. It has been hours since the sun went down. These big storms were driven by the heat of day. Without that big ball of gas giving impetus to these storms there is a good chance that they will die down significantly before they get here.

Now that I know my street is not gaining pot holes and that I don't need to beat a neighbor, I've decided to return to bed and get some rest. Tomorrow is another day like today and I'll need my energy.