Lemon Light...

There was a storm approaching.... The radar was showing bright red just east of us. About 30 minutes ago it started rumbling, quietly at first, then progressively louder. The sun was also setting, and as it did, it got below the edge of the clouds to the west and the whole sky lit up with lemon yellow light. Beautiful and erie at the same time. Greens became richer or darker, depending on the tree or plant or grass. The cedar took on a rich, dark green hue.

I wandered out to the end of the driveway to watch the sky. Off to the east, in the direction of the approaching storm, low scud clouds were standing out against their darker comrades as they raced west. Lightning began to stand out against the darkening sky. The rumbles got louder. From the east, the winds picked up, carrying the telltale signs of approaching rain. Cooler temperatures and the feeling of more moisture in the air. It was time to retreat to the front patio.

The sky began to fade. But then, the sky turned orange. The greens became muted, and the lightning more frequent. It was starting to rain.

I retreated into the house to watch the rest of the storm. We sat in the front room with the lights off. The frequent lightning was strong enough to light up the room in the fading light. You could tell the direction the light was coming from, first to the north, then south. Rumbles answered all the flashes. The computer chimed. EmergencyEmail.org reported rainfall rates of two inches an hour in Pinellas. Urban flood advisories were issued.

The storm has passed now. We didn't get the torrential downpour I thought we would. The thunder has quieted, the lightning dimmed. There is still a lot of rain out there. In an hour or so, the storm will have moved offshore. Lightning may still dance across the sky, but the thunder will be too far away to hear. Outside, the side walk is still wet... proof that a storm had passed by.