hooray for thunderstorms

Portland isn't really known for extreme weather. While it rains a lot, it doesn't usually have torrential downpours. Very few thunderstorms.

I love storms. I love the energy, I love watching the sky just open up and sheets of rain fall down.

I used to be afraid of thunderstorms, and would go hide downstairs in the basement until it was gone. And I was especially afraid of lightning, because I knew lightning often struck tall things, including tall trees. As our house was fairly tall (big A-frame house), I was always afraid lightning would strike our house and cause a fire.

I don't know when that fear went away, but once it did, I would either go outside and play in the downpour, or press my face against the window and watch. I love storm chasing in the car, when you can see the storm, either just ahead or just behind you. I just love the show nature puts on.

And the south is perfectly happy to accommodate my love of storms. The other night, we were driving to the movies (saw Ocean's 13, it was fun, much more like the first than the second), and it was raining so hard, we could hardly see, there were huge flashes of lightning lighting up the sky, it was just cool!