Test Driving the Storm

The practicality of the sleeping porch was tested last night when an enormous plains storm spanning the state from border to border rolled eastward full of lightning and wind and life-giving rains.  All day was typical tornado weather:  hot and humid, the sky filling with steaming moisture.  When the storms cranked up in the west I knew I was going to be in for a grand night of lightning and rain, wind and thunder - a true test drive of my grand idea of sleeping on the porch come hell or high water.

It was wonderful, and a little bit unnerving when the lightning was close.  My daughter was scheduled to come by some time Sunday so I worried once or twice she might find her mother turned to unfortunate cinders and ash, but as far as I know I am alive and well today.

Something strange happened in the sky last night and I would have missed it if I had been safely abed in the house.  The northern horizon began to glow a ghostly green, faintly at first.  It increased in intensity until I could clearly see low clouds racing eastward driven by the howling winds.  I thought perhaps moonlight was shining through a large break in the clouds miles to the north and the weather conditions caused the glow to appear green.  As I continued to watch and wonder, something, in an instant, caused the entire northern horizon to snap to black and then a truly strange and wicked lightning strike blasted downward, full of sparks and blue star bursts.  The lightning was so quick that I am not certain of all that I witnessed.  I think the heavy upper clouds were glowing with a static charge that instantly dispersed with the bizarre lightning strike.  But I have no idea - it is merely my best uneducated guess.  It was, in a word, awesome.

I slept well, all things considered.  When the rain began falling, it was either not heavy enough or the porch provides good protection because the covers were only damp.  I am certain there will be storms that will blow rain in through the screens in drenching, copious amounts.  I will cross that soggy bridge when I get to it.

Post Script:  Due to the lack of wet bedding after the storms Saturday night, I left the bed made up.  I went visiting Sunday afternoon, the sun was shining when I left.  While I was gone, rains driven by 60 mile an hour winds thoroughly soaked the bed.  That soggy bridge has been crossed.