Thunderstorms
A.V. Walters
The good news is that our new basement has proved itself to be watertight. Good thing, too. We’ll be needing that. Michigan sees a lot of wild and wooly weather. I’ve been telling Rick about Great Lakes thunderstorms for years. Though we’ve been here near a year—the weather has not cooperated to show off its best thunderstorm stuff. That is, until yesterday and last night.
It was tremendous. We had dramatic, roiling clouds, winds, driving rain and amazing lightning. For hours! I timed it and the lightning flashes were about 30-40 per minute—and it lasted from late afternoon yesterday until the wee hours of the morning today. Finally he had the chance to see the full-blown spectacle of non-stop lightning, with its rumbling and crashing soundtrack. Nothing like California. The cats are both CaliforniaCats, too. Kilo was cool; Bob was flipped out about it. Nothing in their experience prepared them for the noise. I’d attach a picture, but unless you’re really good with a camera, lightning isn’t easy to capture. I’m not that good.
Years ago, I visited my sister in Southern California. It was her birthday—a little wine and conversation got us on to the topic of thunderstorms. California is wimpy in that department. That’s a blessing, because with California’s dry summers, Michigan’s lightning would burn California to a crisp! The evening ran long; wine and nostalgia are a potent mix. Two weeks later she packed up and headed “home.” Afterwards, she acknowledged that the conversation made her family so homesick, they decided to abandon the dream of sunny California. I don’t know the statistics now, but then, Michigan had the highest “rate of return” for folks who’d moved on, but couldn’t stay away. Some folks just can’t settle in to a climate that lacks actual weather.
The not so good news was the rain. We got almost four inches overnight. I’m not really complaining, we needed it—but there’s no roof yet on that basement. It’s watertight, but in this case it held the water in. So we came to the site the next morning to a wading pool. We briefly considered having a small lap pool in the basement. Four inches is too much to bail—so Rick headed to the hardware for a pump. A couple of hours later—we were back in business.
tworockchronicles 
Chicago’s like that too–people who leave it return. In their case, I understand. Chicago has so much personality where California has about zero. Everything’s bland. Maybe Michigan’s the same (as Chicago)?
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I think where there’s weather, there’s variety. Chicago has it’s own distinct culture as a city–art, music and a certain “this is who I am, swagger.” Michigan, as a state, has a get-out-and-enjoy-it attitude. The state revels in whatever the season–boating, biking and swimming in summer, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing in winter (okay, snow-mobiles, too–yuk). And, since I left there’s a new appreciation of great food, local agriculture, microbrewing and local wines. In that way, it’s like Sonoma County here. I loved Two Rock–but this place is so beautiful, I’m just glad to be home.
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That makes sense. There’s more that I hate about California than love–though weather isn’t one of them!
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Jacqui, what do you hate about California? I spent thirty years there. Though I’m very glad to have left–I’m more glad to have arrived back here.
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We’re expecting thunder storms this evening and I can’t wait (I just love them as long as they’re not associated with a cyclone).
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We’ve seen a good bit more of it–I love the thunder and lightning, but as my next post makes clear, I do get a little tired of the rain.
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