man & nature # 26 ~ the 5 minute wait
Monday, August 11, 2008 at 09:16AM 
;)
Storm over Macs • click to embiggen"The National Weather Service has issued a severe weather warning".
Without exaggeration, I have heard this warning broadcast on radio and television 3 or 4 times a day, on average 3-4 days a week for the last 2 months. Yesterday's newspaper indicated that I am most likely going to keep it seeing / hearing it for another 2 months.
Sandwiched in amongst these weird weather days are some gloriously mild and sunny Summer days that are a pure joy. I don't really mind the weather roller coaster ride as much as some do. In fact, during some of the relatively brief but very violent rain and wind (and occasional hail) storms, I like to stand on the front porch under the metal roof and listen to the rain pounding like a drum, the thunder and the wind, and watch the cascades of water running down the street and off of the roof. They are amazing displays of nature's power.
Of course, I have been able to enjoy these displays because I/we have been fortunate enough to not have suffered any of the damaging effects of this weather. Unfortunately, many have not been so lucky - flashing flooding, downed trees and power lines on houses and roads, property damage from high winds, etc. are regular occurrences. But, because these storms are relatively short in duration and small in geographic coverage, the damage is not widespread during individual "bursts". However, cumulatively, there has been a fair amount of damage.
It has always been said that, if at any given moment, you didn't like the weather in the Adirondacks all you had to do was wait 5 minutes and it will change. That's never been more true than this Spring and Summer.
Reader Comments (4)
Geez Mark this is one of the best weather/storm images I think I've ever seen. What beautifully ominous "muscle" you've captured. I love the shape correlation between the cloud and the little bitty ice cream cone perched on top of the sign....one cone to another!
Our weather radio has been bleeping a lot this summer too and I think my dog is permanently traumatized by the sound. I've decided to just turn it off and look to the sky more often.
As I grew up in a small town outside of Chicago, the memories of standing on the porch waiting for the approaching storm, was filled with sensory overload. From the lightning in the distance, then the thunder claps, almost being able to time when the rain would arrive. The smell of rain in the air and as the wind arrives before the deluge.
Something I truly miss, along with the food.
Being in Seattle, the storms are quite different. We very rarely see thunderstorms with lightning. Most of the lightning comes in the winter during heavy snows.
Yes it has been a whirlwind of a summer here in NY, yesterday morning down here in Adirondack Foothills it was beautiful so I got out early to do some imaging and it was good I did because it all changed by noon and it is raining again today.
What a stunning photo! Gotta love that cloud. I, like you, just love unstable weather. That's why I can't imagine living anywhere else than the Arctic Coast of Norway. Up here "four seasons in one day" is the climate of choice. Makes for some spectacular photography as well!