Wunder and Frightening

Leaving El Cajon for the the Kingdom Hall this evening at about 7:15pm, it was definitely dusk.  Deep dusk.  The world had darkened.

Yet just to the east, and at a fair angle upward,  something bright caught my attention.

A nearby thunderhead was so incredibly high that its very top was white with reflected sunlight.

It was beautiful.  No camera in my possession.  Felt sad about that.  Vowed to write about it instead.




After the meeting, around 9:30pm, someone told me to go outside and look at "the light show".

A huge and tall thunderhead (I'd like to imagine it was the very same one) stood to the east, with the peak at greater than a 45 degree angle (I held my arm up to measure this) since it was so close.

The sky to the rear, left and right was crystal clear, warm and humid.   Yet in front of us was this massive white and grey mountain of cloud, glowing in the light of the nearly full moon.

Suddenly and silently it was lighted up from within.  Like a flickering white flame would look inside a paper lantern, only much quicker.. as quick as lightning.

Thirty seconds later... another flash, this time with a visible bolt of lightning coming down and then turning to the left at right angle.

More and more...   I was standing with some friends now, including a little boy in arms (Wesley, the baby that melted my heart in the hospital of his birth) and I was jumping up and down with excitement.  Wesley just soaked it in with a straight face.

Flash.  Flash & Bolt.  It was magical.

A brother driving out slowed and said out his window, "Steve.  It's just a lightning storm!"

Yes I know, but my life is generally monsoon-less and I was really enthralled.