Wednesday, February 11, 2009

More Than News

Subject: There is nothing like a line of thunderstorms. Nothing.

So, I’m watching, anticipating.
The garage where I’ve been keeping an eye on the weather while the Longhorns were winning faces west-northwest.
The trees start their silhouette dance with the sheet lightning around 9:15 p.m.
The pizza arrives at 9:20 p.m.
A downdraft from the racing storms slices through around 9:29 p.m. along with a few driven drops of rain. Rain. Precious rain.
By 9:35 p.m. the celebration begins with pouring rain, bracing wind, muffled thunder preceded by flashes of white light.
The air temperature drops ten degrees instantly.
By 9:39 p.m., it’s over. The trees are dripping, and the rumbling clouds race east.


The metrics? .28-inch.
The moment? Immeasurable.

© Jim McNabb, 2009

Editor’s Note: A good friend said that I should post the above, even though it isn’t about news. But, if one measure of news is “What people are talking about”, maybe it’s appropriate to post about last night’s rain.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I did that vary same thing... with our recent storm... put the kids to bet, sms'd the wife and checked how far from home she was and then stepped outside to enjoy nature's brief show.

When all of life seems unable to present anything "new", nature comes through.

Unknown said...

I've lived a handful of places, but nothing beats a spring thunderstorm in Texas---ominous clouds on the horizon, lightning flashes that get closer and closer...and then the rumblings, and then the cool windy downdraft... plink,plink,plink of the very first and very large raindrops.