Scenes From A Storm...

 We finally got a summer lightning storm. 

And it seems everyone saw it.

Everyone around here, anyway.

I've seen pictures and videos of the storms everywhere since it hit two nights ago. 

I like to say we live at the top of the great Salt Lake Basin. North of us...mountains. Mountains to the east and west as well, but south, you can see for over a hundred miles. It opens like a huge carpet flowing to the Great Salt Lake. And when these summer lightning storms roll in, it can be breathtaking. This last storm did not disappoint. 

The pictures are not stellar. Since I'm not good at snapping lightning when it strikes, I set my phone to record and just stand there, hoping to catch some of the brilliance that we get to experience. I then scroll through the video stopping on the bright flashes and take a screen shot. I got a few good pics. 

Hopefully, we'll get a few more storms. And if that happens, hopefully, I'll get a few more shots.

What Is It About A Summer Storm...?

 What is it about a summer storm that makes you not only want to see it, but need to experience it? Maybe it's because where we live in the west, rain storms are the exception, not the standard. I'm sure that has something to do with it. We received a storm earlier in the week, a wonderful glorious storm that gave us some much needed rain.

And we went outside, sat on the porch, and smelled in the wonderful aroma of rain.

There was an added bonus...lightning.

I tried catching a photo of it. The only way I can do this is to take several videos and hope I get a strike in the frame. When I caught the lightning, I then take a screen shot of the strike. I saw many photos posted on social media of lightning strikes from the recent storms. So many amazing shots--some literally breathtaking. Mine...well, it's a photo of lightning.

Lightning is beautiful, but it can be deadly, as evidenced by a recent lightning strike that killed three people at the White House yesterday. So sad. And, I suppose we accepted a degree of risk sitting on our porch watching the rain fall, hearing the water hit the ground, taking in the cleansed air.

Yes, the storms are few and far between, so we enjoy them when they hit. We're supposed to have a wet day tomorrow. And if it does reach us, if we can, we'll be outside--hopefully safe--enjoying the summer storm. 

Checking Out The Fireworks...

 One interesting thing about social media is that you can see what is happening to people all over the globe, and the more people you follow or friends you have that live close to you, a quick search through social media sites can give you a different perspective on the very thing you're looking at from your front porch.

Case in point, this past weekend's storms.

This summer in our neck of the woods has been a dry one. Lawns are yellowing and people are shaming each other so we can save water. We do live in a desert, after all. So, when huge storms come knocking, people take notice. To be honest, the skies were so amazing...just looking up was like experiencing the world's biggest canvas and on that canvas were amazing clouds. I saw so many pictures of clouds and rain from my friends on social media--it was great.

Then, it got dark and the real fireworks began. Some of my friends snapped pictures of actual lightning bolts and they looked so cool (the pictures, not necessarily the friends...). My wife and I ventured out on the front porch to experience the weather. We love doing this whenever possible. I tried getting photos of lightning bolts, but unfortunately I was unsuccessful. I did catch the entire valley lighting up. On my video I did a screen shot of the valley as it was dark, then the next second, then entire valley was bathed in a ghostly white light.

So amazing.

We're still new to the area and getting used to the weather here. Even though the storms haven't been many, we're enjoying the ones we've seen...at least, so far.