1 one thousand

This week comes to a close and the sun is setting after the first few storms of the season. California burns all summer and then we flood in the winter. The other times of the year are a happy medium. These storms were filled with a lot of lightning and thunder. When the lightning strikes we hold our breath and count, "1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, 3 one thousand, 4..." thunder rumbles and that number tells us how many miles away the storm is.

I did this with my children as they were growing up and because I didn't know any better, we knelt down in front of a big low window, waiting for the sky to light up so the eerie counting could begin. The closer the storm got, the more scared we were and the bigger our eyes would get. When the thunder BOOMed at the number 1 we all screamed with delight and squeezed our clasped hands tighter. Little did my children know that I was terrified inside about the entire process.

As a child, getting close to the number 1 meant diving under the covers for protection. I don't know why, but thunder storms always scared me to pieces...they still do. I caught myself shaking in my boots a time or two this week. Out here in the country, there are no street lights to detract from the lightning bolts glory. The intensity was so clear and bright.

The rain drenched ground combined with the strong force of wind caused our neighbor, Farmer B, to loose 1 very large 30 year old almond tree. We didn't loose any trees...something for us to be grateful about and for next weeks storms...a whole new reason to dive under the covers.