Nature night
I've discussed the many run-ins I've had with Nature since moving to this part of the state before...I didn't grow up around much wildlife (squirrels don't count) so when I get to see it up close I get a real charge out of it. Well, when it comes to Nature, today was a red-letter day for me.
I'm leaving my office and as I step outside I hear a huge peal of thunder and see, right in front of me, an impressive bolt of lightning. The sky is dark, the air is green. Bad storm's a-comin'. I run to the car and get in just as big fat raindrops start falling. Just before the door thunks shut, I hear the unmistakable sound of turkeys gobbling. Apparently the flock of wild turkeys that lives next to my office building -- I saw eight of them this morning when I came in -- was a little panicked by the thunder and lightning.
I pull out of the parking lot and as I'm driving down the road I notice that the sound of the rain on my car has gotten REALLY LOUD all of a sudden. It sounds like someone's throwing handfuls of gravel at my car. Pea-sized hail was falling from the sky and pinging against my car in a rather alarming way. A few minutes later the hail turned back into rain, the rain stopped, and the sun came out.
Then I'm on the long road that leads to my neighborhood and I see a young deer step into the road about a hundred feet in front of me. I slow way down and watch this little guy walk across the road to try and join his buddies who are drinking from a large pool of water created by the storm. The only problem is, he's separated from his pals by a five-foot fence. I stop the car to watch as he nervously walks a few paces this way, then that, looking for a way in. Finally he says, "Ah, screw it," and clears the fence in one graceful leap. I was about six feet away when he did this. I applauded, it was so excellent.
8:00:46 PM 
|
