Thursday, July 22, 2010

Thoughts on Weather

When I woke this morning, with the ceiling fan and AC on, I thought, "it's hot!" No wonder...the local weather says we're heading into triple digit heat index, with temps of high 90's today. Oh, good. Another quiet day inside, doing our best to stay cool with the aid of mechanical helpers.

I signed on to Facebook, to discover that there were some heavy thunderstorms, and a possible tornado, in my old neighborhood. It appears, from the posted photos, that trees were down all over the area and I heard that some boats were over-turned and sunk. I'm not a huge fan of rocking, rolling weather. The idea of tornados scares me silly.

Living in the south, I've gotten used to tornado watches and warnings on tv. I've finally learned where they are on the map, in relation to where we reside. That's helped to relieve some of the fear I had when I first moved here. We rarely hear of a touch down close by, but have seen evidence of some pretty rough storms.

Unless it's completely impossible, when a thunderstorm is brewing, my husband spends hours on the front porch watching the skies. As the thunderheads build and billow off in the distant gray, he seems mesmarized. When the thunder rolls across the heavens, it's like music to him, and when the shows of lightening streak, he can be heard saying, "whoa!" with great excitment in his voice. As long as the viewing is from a very distant vantage point, I will sometimes sit with him. But if the rain is here, falling sideways from a dark and noisey sky overhead, you will definitely find me inside the house, talking myself out of the trepidation that fills my innards.

I happen to be happiest in temperatures that are evident in Spring and Fall, but because of the changes in temps, those seasons bring our fiercest storms. If there's anything I've learned about the weather, it's to be prepared for anything. Unlike much of life, there's not a single thing I can do to change any of it, so I just accept it and try to do something, instead, about the way I feel about it.

I've applied that theory to most things in life. Even though storms and fearful circumstances come , I know they they will pass sooner or later. I have to ride them out 'til they do, even if I hide my head in my pillow or scream out after each thunderous rumble. In the end, the calm does come.