Greetings, my fellow port swillers!
We’re being teased with the possibility of thunderstorms this afternoon and tomorrow in the neighborhood of Port Swiller Manor. I hope the forecast proves more than just a tease, since I love the boomers and we haven’t really had a direct hit so far this spring.
The funny thing is that Ol’ Robbo was quite frightened of lightning and thunder until fairly well on into his early adult life. Eventually, I just sort of outgrew it (unlike G. Gordon Liddy, I didn’t have to tie myself to a tree to do so) and now, as I say, the flash and bang delight me.
I recall once in my teen years walking into my bedroom during a storm. My window looked out on our back yard and just as I glanced out a lightning bolt hit a hackberry tree maybe twenty yards away. It was close enough that I could hear the initial ziiip before the almost-immediate explosion. I instinctively hit the floor pretty hard that time, but now I think I’d simply give it a “Ted” Theodore Logan “Whoooah!” instead.
The tree, incidentally, carried a long burn mark after that and never really recovered. A couple years later it got taken out completely by what was either a microburst or perhaps a very small tornado. I actually felt sorry for that tree.
UPDATE: Narp.** Looks like the main action drifted east of us. Darn it.
**Spot the quote.
8 comments
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May 28, 2020 at 10:47 am
CaptainNed
Same wave is supposed to hit us, and we need it. Mowing the lawn last weekend looked like the second coming of the Dust Bowl.
May 28, 2020 at 12:03 pm
Robbo
It’s been plenty wet here this spring but just not unstable enough to fire up the t-storms much. I suppose it’s because we’ve been so cool.
May 28, 2020 at 3:00 pm
rbj1
Been threatening all day and the radar doesn’t look good, but nothing.
May 29, 2020 at 7:15 am
Robbo
Fun fact: I think Newport-News actually got more snow this year than we did.
May 29, 2020 at 9:48 am
rbj1
As soon as I wrote that, I took the dogs out for their 4 pm walk early, as it was threatening. And it started raining. At least the one dog did her afternoon business first.
May 29, 2020 at 11:03 am
NOVA Curmudgeon
Maybe this afternoon or evening.
May 29, 2020 at 11:44 am
Robbo
Looks like the forecasters are going all coy about that. This is where I assume my “I’ll believe it when I see it” stance.
May 29, 2020 at 3:59 pm
CaptainNed
Boom just arrived. Unfortunately, it didn’t come with Leelu.