When there's thunder overhead

Something's brewing up there
London, ON
July 2013
Thematic. Look way up. Here.

I have a secret obsession with thunderstorms. When they roll in - which they do, often, in our neck of the woods - I like to stare at the sky and feel the energy of the thing. As the clouds build, they seem strangely comforting, an impenetrable presence in a sky that's usually limitless. You feel like you're watching an important game - doesn't really matter what that game is - and something significant is about to happen.

The kids were at a program on this hot, humid summer's night, so instead of driving home and then driving back when it was done, I parked the car and took a walk. I stayed close because I could already feel that something was cooking in the atmosphere. That, and the fact that my smartphone told me a thunderstorm warning was in effect.

So I wandered to a quiet park nearby, sat on a bench and just waited. The clouds slowly built themselves into towering thunderheads. They didn't seem to move one way or another - just up. The growing rumbles and occasional flash from within suggested the fun only just getting underway.

I couldn't stay for the main event, because soon enough I had to get back to the car and load the munchkins up for the ride home. But for a few minutes, I had a front-row seat to one of the best shows I'd seen in a while. I'm sure it won't be long before the sky puts on its next show.

I guess my secret isn't much of a secret anymore.

Your turn: Do you watch the sky? What do you see?