storms in the country

Lightening is a different force in the country, in my midwestern country. In town it is exciting and interesting, but in the country it is wild and dangerous. The land is flat and you can see a storm coming for miles. The 1st time I looked at my farm(ette) it was storming, there was a hole in the old basement crawl space like a spigot just pouring water, and as I left lightening struck near the road at the driveway. Just a big bang and flash right at the side of the truck, I nearly went in the ditch.

I bought the house in early spring, storm season, brought the dogs and horses with me, even though the fencing and the barn weren't ready. There were two tall pines on my little farm, not too far from the house by the round pen the horses were in while the barn was under construction. I loved those two pines, so straight, taller than anything else in the area. I was watching them bend in the wind late one afternoon when the radio said that a big storm was coming. Not much I could do to prepare other than keep the radio on and get the dogs in.

Lightening walked across the neighbors' fields like a giant's legs marching in a parade with thunder splitting the air at each step. I was overcome with worry about possible hail and worried about the two pines drawing a stike and killing the horses. My partner and I ran out to the round pen to put halters on the horses and take them to the half completed barn. I had installed rail gates on each end, so we could at least get them under shelter. We could only see to put the halters on by the lightening flashes, it was pitch black. The horses weren't nearly as nervous as we were, at least they weren't nervous until we got there and started fumbling around. Right before the last halter was on, lightening struck in my back field, I was looking up as it flashed and saw the clouds rotating. For some reason this calmed me, if it were our time at least we were all together.

The barn was steel sided and roofed. When we got under shelter, the hail started It was LOUD from the hail, so loud I couldn't even hear the horses running around, so black I couldn't see them either and by now they were scared. Even the lightening didn't help. I hung on to my bay's mane and stayed with him until he calmed a little and I could make it over to the gate. We were both lucky not to be trampled. After we got back inside the rain started, and the storm was basically over. Next day I heard the news that a tornado struck about 1/4 mile from us, but no one was hurt.

I would be interested to hear your storm story! Leave a comment to tell it to me, or a link to your blog, thanks!