A THUNDER STORM

As I write we are in the throws of a terrific thunder storm. Through out the afternoon the sky blackened and the heat became more sultry than ever. My poor son has slept very little,it is hard enough to sleep during the day, hot weather can make it impossible. I found the afternoon too hot to work in the garden so I took a pot of Earl Grey tea out to the orchard and made plans for my new pumpkin patch with my little cat for company. It was a lovely lazy way to spend the afternoon and even though I am behind wit my digging I enjoyed just sitting and enjoying the fragrant orchard and the buzzing of the bees as I watched the birds flitting about in search of food.

During the morning the young blackbirds fledged and they spent the rest of the days as mendicants while the parent birds tried to keep up with their constant demands for food. This all added to the feeling of laziness but all too soon it was time to go indoors to prepare our evening meal of garlic cheese pasta with bacon. Left to my own choice I would have preferred a salad but my son put in a request and as he will be away next week and doing his own cooking I felt I should see to it that he ate well in the mean time.

During our meal the first flash of lightening came, a young squirrel was so startled that it almost fell of the feeder and when a few moments later the loud crash of thunder followed the poor little mite fled in a panic. I am sure that during its young life it has not seen a shower of rain let alone a thunder storm.

The rain followed swiftly falling in torrents and all the while the thunder rolled and crashed, a real cannonade. We began to count the time between the flash and the bang and before long they were almost simultaneous. I stood in the doorway watching the storm and I could almost hear the dry garden sighing with relief as the rain pelted down filling the bird baths and the water butt. I love a good storm and always watch them if I can even though I always have a headache before the storm begins I still love the drama of a darkening sky and the livid flashes. Storms during the night are even more exciting, I am considered a little odd by my family, well I am odd,I admit it, so what?

The cat twiggy hates storms and like almost all cats detests rain, I say almost all as I once owned cat who enjoyed wet weather and who's greatest pleasure was to sit under a sprinkler hose in hot weather, now that is really odd!
Twigs sat disconsolately on the door step watching the rain falling and when a sudden worsening of the storm caused the rain to bounce high of the path and in through the door she disappeared at once to sit under my bed, she is there still,poor old puss.

The air is a little cooler now and this should make for a much more pleasant night providing it does not get too steamy and the plants which have for so long depended on me for water will grow quickly now. I have known plants grow incredibly quickly after a good spell of rain, no amount of watering with a hose can ever do such a good job as a storm.
I found a few dodgy looking strawberries at the back of the refrigerator today so I put them out for the parakeets, judging by the way they have been stuffing themselves ever since I am convinced that this act of generosity was misguided as now the have a taste for them they will I have no doubt join the squirrels and the mice in raiding the strawberry beds the moment the fruit is ripe. I never learn.

The thunder has stopped now but the sky is still dark and I am certain that the storm will return before the night is much older. There is a fresh light breeze now and the air is very sweet with the scent of cut grass and damp earth, the blue black sky shows the off the brightness of the new leaves on my beloved lime trees in the lane. So much loveliness, the world is a beautiful place.