I Miss Thunderstorms

It's Thursday, and you guessed it, we are still broiling out here in okie land. It's 104 at 9:30 at night! God bless the a/c.

Believe it or not, there is something about summer that I love. Thunderstorms! There is something so soothing about that distant rumble and the graying of the sky, followed by the pitter pattering of the rain drops on the pavement. It's even better at night, when the wind picks up and the rain taps on your window. There is nothing like the sleep I get during one of those storms.

Unfortunately, we haven't been blessed with any such storms this summer. In fact, we've had several warnings that never materialized. I think this is part of why I'm so homesick.

When I was a little girl, afternoon storms during the summer were almost a daily occurrence. We'd be playing outside, and then have to run for cover, shrieking  as the rain started. Sometimes we would watch the storm move in, seeing how dark the sky could get before it was time to go inside.

As I grew up, I learned to enjoy sitting on the porch during these storms. Watching the rain fall as the breeze cooled us from the heavy southern heat was one of life's pleasures. You could almost see the grass greening up as the lawn drank in the moisture.

I remember quite a few times when we were caught in thunderstorms at the beach. Our family always went shell hunting together, and at least once or twice during the week we were there, we would have to walk back to the house in the rain. Those first few drops were so cold on my sun warmed skin! But it was so refreshing.

I will always remember the way my Pa looked as we searched for shells, his head down as he focused on the sand at his feet. Despite the fact that he was always way ahead of the rest of us, he always found the best shells and biggest sharks' teeth. He was the one who taught the rest of us to find those teeth.  I will never forget that.

All this is probably why I hope to have a large front porch one day. A little something to connect me to my southern childhood, and I want to watch the storms roll in like I used to. When I'm old and gray, you will probably find me in my rocker on that porch.