One event - multiple outcomes
Sunday we had an amazing thunder storm. It hasn't rained much here in a long time. We have had drizzle, we have had momentary downpours but we have not had a good rain in a while. Sunday, we finally got one.
It started to roll in while I was out at Kowalski's grocery store. I had been craving their burgers with wild rice and cheese so I stopped there on my way home. As I walked back to my car with burgers and potato salad in hand I found it fitting that a storm was rolling in as I was walking out with food for the grill.
But driving toward home it looked as though the real storm was already past us and heading east. So there was hope yet for burgers.
When I got home the hubster was happy with my purchase. He was looking very forward to dinner time.
After putting away the burgers I looked outside and the clouds had gotten a bit darker. So out I sent the puppies. Gotta potty before the rain hits. Storm warnings weren't listed for our area but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.
Drip------Drip----Drip. The first tiny raindrops fell. And then a crack of thunder. So I sent in the now shivering with fear puppy collection. Ok, so only Lily and Caleb were shivering with fear, but still.................in they went.
And Lily was pacing, panting, and looking for a place to hide.
Once she was somewhat settled under a desk with dad I took my book and headed out to sit under our screen tent. I was reading a good murder mystery so a thunder storm just seemed perfect. The rain started coming down, lightening, thunder, the works. It was fabulous. The tent was keeping me pretty dry. And I couldn't have been happier. I read a good 50 pages or so but then the rain got a little harder, it got a little windier and the tent started to leak. I was getting a little more than damp so I ran into the house.
Lily was still pacing, panting, and changing where she wanted to hide. Poor little peanut. Caleb just sat in the middle of the floor looking at me and shaking.
Eventually the storm passed. Conveniently it was down to a soft drizzle at best right around dinner time. So I headed out to fire up the grill.
Only to find our wonderful screen tent on it's side.
So the hubster came out with me and we tried to get it back upright. Only a support poll had bent over. Thus pretty much ruining our screen tent. We pulled it apart in hopes of salvaging it. And we got pretty wet doing it.
Not to mention the dog poopie I stepped in unknowingly. And then went sliding oh so elegantly across the pavement as soon as my poop covered sandal hit it. Leaving a very attractive skid mark across the concrete. Lovely, simply lovely.
Well, we got the burgers cooked, Lily didn't have an accident, and we can probably unbend the pole and use the screen room again. But still, I found it interesting how many different effects a single event had.
A simple rain storm
Was thrilling and the perfect backdrop for a story
Nourished a very thirsty garden
Terrified a little ten pound peanut
And her little brother
Demolished a tent
Made dog poop soft and skidable
Created fabulous steam effects while burgers grilled
Cooled me down after a hot humid sticky day
and I later learned
Caused someones yard toys to blow away down the neighborhood
Girl J attempting to be a nice neighbor ran after it and rescued it
Only to get home and realize that she was now sick and in pain (she just had surgery)
And had to spend the rest of the night laying down
Power went out in parts of the cities
And I'm sure more than a few car accidents happened
News on it here
And it looks like we got about an inch and a half of rain in that storm.
It was just a simple rain storm but boy did it take the ordinary out of a quiet Sunday afternoon.
8 comments:
I'm more like the puppies during thunderstorms. The worse it gets, the more I want to hide. I've been known to sequester myself in the basement during particularly bad storms "just in case." I know someone (I want to say it was Jay and Scott but that this had happened before I actually met them) who had a dog that was petrified of rain and they managed to condition her against them with thunder CDs playing very quietly on the stereo, and turning up the volume a little bit each time.
I was so glad to see a thunderstorm! We hadn't had any rain since May. I was tired of being teased with dark clouds and thunder, just to have it pass. But I didn't find nearly as many effect of this rain.
Isn't Cabinet of Curiosities wonderful! I love all the books in the with Pendergast. Still Life with Crows is next, then the trilogy--Brimstone, Dance of Death and Bood of the Dead. They're great.
Wow, who knew one simple storm could have all that impact?
If I ever write a book that doesn't deal with fairy tale creatures, I'm totally stealing your skid mark on concrete visual. I want to laugh and say "Ewww" all at the same time.
Summer thunderstorms are wonderful creatures...though I don't like them much up here. At "home" (the coast of VA) they didn't seem so close. Here, it seems like the thunder and the lightening are truly surrounding you. YIKES.
My little peanut doesn't like them (or fireworks) either. Poor little four-footeds...if only we could talk to them and explain it all away!
We used to have huge storms here when I was a kid. But, not so much anymore. We get occasional thunder but very little lightning like I remember. Mostly we've been getting massive amounts of rain in a short period of time this summer. Then the clouds part and the sun comes out the heat builds again. Which creates more heavy rains.
I just have one question....is the poop still smeared on the sidewalk?
Are you planning on cleaning the poo off your shoe, or just using it as a reason to go buy some new ones? "Oops, stepped in something nasty. To the shoe store!" (I actually had the theme from Batman running through my head as I typed that)
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