The incessant rains of the past few weeks have brought out greenery everywhere. Including these nasty little burrs in long grass. Cheyenne catches them in her pads and stops and looks piteous. They hurt when I remove them for her.
The weather has been dramatic with winds, clouds, sunshine and rain in quick alternation. Just about every morning riding home from work I have been rained on, and some days the early morning rain has been heavy enough to convince me to stop and put on my waterproofs.
Cheyenne's afternoon walks, after I wake up, have been a hunt for clear skies, away from the current downpour. It's not that she really minds the rain but day after day it gets a bit much. Plus it's hard to read the paper in the rain when we take our ease together and pause in our strolls. Last week the skies were dramatic everywhere so I headed north on Highway One to look for a beach we could walk together and feel the wind in our faces. Seas were lumpy and the weird craft we saw tucked away at anchor were bobbing around wildly. This improbable house boat at Bahia Honda incorporating a Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome:
And this work boat anchored off the eastern shore of Big Pine Key.
The further we drove towards the seven mile bridge the darker and more ominous everything became.
It was fun actually, something I haven't done for a while during an afternoon.
Ohio Key's beach hasn't had a visit from us since last Spring. Cheyenne was ready to renew acquaintance...
...and the easterly breeze made it feel cooler than usual.
Cheyenne was frisky, running up and down the edge of the water sniffing.
The storm looked like it was heading north, crossing the highway to join the black clouds to the north. We stood on the beach and watched the sturm und drang.
At one point it occurred to me the storm was actually not moving north but west. Towards Cheyenne and I cowering under a small black mangrove to keep out of the worst of the rain. The picture below shows the line of gray rain slashing the surface of the sea as it moved rapidly toward us.
Then the thunder started and the lightning cracked and I realized we were in exactly the wrong place. The storm was coming right at us and all I could think, as the cold down draft from the clouds hit us, was that pretty soon the lightning would be landing on the beach. I started to power walk back to the car. Luckily I hadn't need to use the plastic bag in my pocket to pick up after Cheyenne...so it made a dry carrying case for the camera.
As we left the shelter of the mangrove Cheyenne was ambling along sniffing as usual. the the lightning cracked down on the water close enough that we could feel the electricity and Cheyenne reacted like an electric prod had been shoved up her. Together we started running towards the Fararday cage that was the car. The rain slashed down and the thunder boomed overhead, close enough that it was mixed in with the crack of the lightning bolts. We made it back to the car where I fumbled the front door key and as I opened the driver's door Cheyenne leaped in. The rain was cascading over us, the thunder and lightning crashed around us and there I was trying to drag my soaked yellow lab out from under the steering wheel. She resisted long enough that my seat got soaked and when eventually she was in the back and I was in the front with the door closed we were both totally drenched and the inside of the car was wet enough to squelch.
The weather has been dramatic with winds, clouds, sunshine and rain in quick alternation. Just about every morning riding home from work I have been rained on, and some days the early morning rain has been heavy enough to convince me to stop and put on my waterproofs.Cheyenne's afternoon walks, after I wake up, have been a hunt for clear skies, away from the current downpour. It's not that she really minds the rain but day after day it gets a bit much. Plus it's hard to read the paper in the rain when we take our ease together and pause in our strolls. Last week the skies were dramatic everywhere so I headed north on Highway One to look for a beach we could walk together and feel the wind in our faces. Seas were lumpy and the weird craft we saw tucked away at anchor were bobbing around wildly. This improbable house boat at Bahia Honda incorporating a Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome:And this work boat anchored off the eastern shore of Big Pine Key.The further we drove towards the seven mile bridge the darker and more ominous everything became.It was fun actually, something I haven't done for a while during an afternoon.Ohio Key's beach hasn't had a visit from us since last Spring. Cheyenne was ready to renew acquaintance......and the easterly breeze made it feel cooler than usual. Cheyenne was frisky, running up and down the edge of the water sniffing.The storm looked like it was heading north, crossing the highway to join the black clouds to the north. We stood on the beach and watched the sturm und drang.At one point it occurred to me the storm was actually not moving north but west. Towards Cheyenne and I cowering under a small black mangrove to keep out of the worst of the rain. The picture below shows the line of gray rain slashing the surface of the sea as it moved rapidly toward us.Then the thunder started and the lightning cracked and I realized we were in exactly the wrong place. The storm was coming right at us and all I could think, as the cold down draft from the clouds hit us, was that pretty soon the lightning would be landing on the beach. I started to power walk back to the car. Luckily I hadn't need to use the plastic bag in my pocket to pick up after Cheyenne...so it made a dry carrying case for the camera.As we left the shelter of the mangrove Cheyenne was ambling along sniffing as usual. the the lightning cracked down on the water close enough that we could feel the electricity and Cheyenne reacted like an electric prod had been shoved up her. Together we started running towards the Fararday cage that was the car. The rain slashed down and the thunder boomed overhead, close enough that it was mixed in with the crack of the lightning bolts. We made it back to the car where I fumbled the front door key and as I opened the driver's door Cheyenne leaped in. The rain was cascading over us, the thunder and lightning crashed around us and there I was trying to drag my soaked yellow lab out from under the steering wheel. She resisted long enough that my seat got soaked and when eventually she was in the back and I was in the front with the door closed we were both totally drenched and the inside of the car was wet enough to squelch.The drive home took twenty minutes and I laughed the whole way. Cheyenne licked herself rather disconsolately on the back seat. Rain like that makes you feel young.
7 comments:
Dear Sir:
I used to love a good walk on the beach when a storm was pending, or pent. And I love watching the lightning bounce around — generally from the safety of the garage. What was the temperature, as the storm raged?
By the way, it was 39ยบ here yesterday morning.
My two dogs regard thunder as the end of the world. And they can sense it 40 miles away. Had it been my "Scout" jamme under your steering wheel, you'd still be oparked on the beach.
Great story. I was laughing at picturing the whole scene taking place. Great description. We had terrible thunderdstorms roll thru here last night. Sorry Jack we beat you Tuesday morning we had 37degrees already, I'll send it your way.
I love a good storm, looking out at it, not being out in it! On the other hand, our dog is terrified of thunder, and he visibly shakes in fear. We don't blame him, he only has 3 legs because he was shot and one leg was amputated, thus the fear of loud bangs. We leave the light on for him in storms and talk nice to him. Once we were not home in a storm, he was, and he chewed half of our step away in the laundry room. It was a sad sight, but we were happy he didn't chew a nail.
Thanks for another interesting story.
Staying warm and dry in New York.
Donna
Mr Conchscooter:
It absolutely looks like winter down there. What a horrible place to live.
You should come up here where it doesn't rain, nor do we get much lightning
It's warmer here than in PA. Yesterday morning it was 8c (46F), by the end of the day it was 18c (64F).
bob
Wet Coast Scootin
Those burrs are the ubiquitous Florida sandspur.
Now I'm laughing too. In the rain.
Remember to lick your fingers before trying to remove a sandspur!
http://www.wildflorida.com/wildlife/plants/Sandspur.php
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