While I'm on the subject of lightning, there are several stories I could tell but I'll tell them one at a time. I've had lightning strike close to me twice -- once at the beach when I felt electricity run through the wet sand, and once here at home when I was outside and my hair stood on end, then a bolt hit the house.
I respect lightning.
As regular readers know, I married a Yankee. He's spent most of our marriage scoffing at me and my lightning cautions. But one day, I trained him not to shower in a lightning storm.
Actually, I had nothing to do with it. But I got to watch and it's the funniest thing I've ever seen.
It was two summers ago and Paul had been mowing. He was filthy, so when a storm blew up and he had to come inside, he jumped right into the shower.
Don't talk on the phone or take a shower during a lightning storm, okay? At least not a phone that's connected by wires to your wall.
Paul thought I was silly. So he was taking his shower. He might be a Yankee, but he's a very clean Yankee.
The lightning was striking all around our house. So I burst into the bathroom and demanded that he get Out Of The Shower NOW. He was drying off anyway so he stepped outside of the tub to humor me. And then WHAM! Lightning struck a giant pine tree not far from the house. The force blew all the photographs off of the wall and the glass in their frames shattered on the bathroom floor.
Paul instinctively ran to put on his rubber-soled tennis shoes. And was wearing nothing else. I guess he figured the shoes would keep him safe from shock.... Not really sure but it was great fun to watch.
The ground at the base of the pine tree looked like it had been hit by a bomb. The pine tree died.
Nobody showers in a lightning storm around here anymore unless they're really dirty and really really fast.
Another storm has blown up and I've been racing it, trying to finish this post. I need to unplug the computer. I guess I was finished anyway.
It's spectacular to watch and I love the smell afterwards. Which is a good thing, because I have a feeling we're skipping our showers tonight. (TMI. Sorry.)
Ahhh. We don't get too many ugly thunderstorms in Maine, but we had one just before we left on vacation. Consequently I am using the folks' computer while I track down an authorized Apple service place to repair/replace our ethernet drive. We also lost the modem, the router, 2 microwaves, 1 window AC, a nightlight and a glass light fixture. It coulda been worse, though. The people across the street lost all the circuits in their house!
We'll be wearing rubber soled shoes for the rest of the summer!
Posted by: groovyoldlady | July 11, 2008 at 07:21 AM
A place where I worked was struck by lightning, and a computer actually exploded. Its user had gone to the restroom. I guess it's lucky that he wasn't electrocuted via the plumbing instead.
After living in a place with a lot of electrical storms, I connected the computer via a surge protector. I reckon that box has saved the computer on several occasions.
Posted by: Transylvanianhorseman | July 11, 2008 at 03:53 PM
Oh, Lordy. I've been going round and round about the very same issue with the Yankee I married. Every time it storms he goes out to watch the weather. I've given up trying to explain to him how foolish it is to stand in our very wooded backyard trying to get a glimpse of lightning. Now I just make sure the life insurance payments are made on time.
But I drew the line when he told my son to take a bath during our last storm. Glad I did, too: lightning hit the electric company's transformer and made all of the appliances in the neighborhood go nuts. Being a smart girl raised by a Southern mama, I'd shut down our computers already.
He's still thanking me for that.
Posted by: Venomous Kate | July 16, 2008 at 06:05 PM