Approaching Storm

A storm is rolling in down here, and I thought I had better go ahead and post before my "office" (better known as the balcony) gets rained out.

We came back from dinner early, and the guys went down to the indoor pool while I spent some time on the "patio" -- a large, outdoor, seventh floor sitting area overlooking the ocean. I watched a couple of crazy people wind-surf. They were strapped to what kind of looked like a surf board and harnessed to what kind of looked like a parachute. The wind pulled them around on the water. I was getting worried about one guy -- I wondered if he would eventually just cross over the horizon and be gone forever. I guess he could steer, though, because he finally did turn around and come back.

It is kind of fascinating to watch this storm roll in. Dark clouds, mixing with white clouds, lightening in the distance, thunder, and we could watch the upper air current move the clouds closer and closer. I remember as a kid, Mom and I would go out on the back porch to watch it rain, and I still love to do it today. Her mother and aunts were always scared to death of thunder storms. To this day she has a cousin who hides in her basement when there is thunder and lightening.

I seem to be full of analogies this week. Watching this storm roll in reminds me that sometimes we see the storms that hit our lives -- we can anticipate and plan for them. Other times, the storms just sneak up on us and take us unaware. Sometimes, even when we expect the storm, the actual effect of it is surprising in its intensity.

Here's hoping we keep power -- no candles, and the flashlight is in the car, five stories down.

Image: Storm over the ocean with light in the distance. In "real life" you can see the light striking the ocean beyond the storm clouds near the horizon.