Stormy Memories

When I was in elementary school, a traveling book fair rolled in each year. They'd set up in the main lobby and it was impossible to miss them either entering or exiting the building. Marketing geniuses.

Additionally, I don't remember receiving a regular allowance growing up. I also don't remember doing many chores around the house so fair is fair. Regardless, I hated asking for money (still do) unless it pertained to books.

This time of year, however, I didn't mind asking. I'd inevitably end up with some Encyclopedia Brown book or some sports book that would be quickly consumed and put in a box in the attic with the rest of my books.

I'll admit it - I'll often judge a book by i's cover. And its opening paragraph.

While browsing the aisles of the book fair (I think I was in the 3rd grade), I found a book with an eerie cover. It featured two boys, a little older than me. One was blonde and wore glasses, somebody who looked like somebody I would like to be friends with. In the background, a warlock looking guy held out both palms in an entrancing manner; and a storm loomed in the distance.

The book was Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. It remains one of my childhood favorites.

I believe it's because of that book that I love rain storms.

When I went to bed last night, a steady but brisk wind blew in from the south. It didn't have the dark clouds that usually accompany a storm so I thought nothing of it. Plus, our home is situated in an area that when storm clouds do form, they quickly drift over; the rain usually doesn't fall until the clouds have moved twenty miles to the west.

I woke up at 5:20 to a thundering boom followed by pelting rain against the windows. My first thought was "By the pricking of my thumb". The next forty-five minutes were a torrential downpour and blinding lightning storm. I loved it. Melissa and Logan, on the other hand, did not. Logan, who fell asleep in the library, quickly came to the room to seek us out.

Wanting to catch sight of the storm myself (and to retrieve the paper before it became soaked), I got up and watched the storm from the porch.

A few months ago, I sat on the porch and watched a fascinating electrical storm. Lighting filled the entire sky. I took some very neat pictures anticipating posting them here. I went to bed and woke up the next morning only to learn a tornado touched down about 15 miles northwest of here killing several people and displacing hundreds more. It felt a bit callous posting pictures for amusement of a storm where people died.

So this morning, I just enjoyed the storm for a few minutes, wrote down a few thoughts, then happily crawled back into bed.