Lightning!

This was simply a strange morning.  The alarm went off at 4:00.  I hit snooze, then remembered that my cycling clothes were all in the washing machine and had not been dried yet.  I pulled myself out of bed, put the clothes in the dryer, then found some clean unused gear to wear.  I checked the weather forecast and there was a 0% chance of rain until this afternoon.  I was out the door before 4:30.

What a gorgeous morning!  Warmish.  Some lingering humidity.  The critters were out in force.  I encountered a kamikaze bunny, a startled raccoon, dozens of birds with their particular early morning behavior, clouds of gnats, and streets mostly devoid of traffic. (The bird behavior that I find odd is that in the dark they tend to fly, or flutter, very close to the ground, often just in front of the bike.)  I made my way out toward Sandy Point State Park, knowing that I wouldn’t actually be able to get there and back to the Rusty Bridge in time, but still traveled that route relishing the relative quietness of the nearly empty streets.

I watched the clock and turned around so that I could arrive at the Rusty Bridge on time and continued to enjoy the solitude.  Once I got back on the trail, I noticed some very light sprinkles.  There was a distant flash in the sky, barely perceptible.  The rain gradually became harder.  The pavement turned wet.  My glasses were rain covered making it harder to see.  The flashes became more frequent.  By the time I arrived at the Rusty Bridge, it was clear that the lightning was getting much closer and thunder was accompanying it.  I checked the radar display on my phone, and discovered that a large thunderstorm was headed my way.  Thunderstorm warnings were out, with the potential for hail and damaging winds.  Dan had texted me that he was headed back home because of the lightning.  So was I.  The flashes grew closer but I made it home without incident.  Shortly after I arrived home the lightning and thunder were the briefest time apart.

This was disappointing to me this morning.  I had intended to ride 35-40 miles, but instead settled for 21.  Lightning is dangerous … and I got  more of a ride in than the rest of the gang.

The storm was over within about 30-35 minutes.  The morning is now as beautiful as it was at 4:30 … except the sun is now up.

Bible Verses of the Day:

And I will send the pestilence in front of you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. (Exodus 23:28 NRSV)

But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” (Acts 16:28 NRSV)