Thursday, March 15, 2012

After the Storm

Late in the day a thunderstorm blew in and pounded us with high wind, rain, thunder, lightening and hail. The works! It was the kind of storm that made you glad to be inside and safe and dry and cozy with your loved ones. As storms sometimes do, it lifted and left us as quickly as it arrived. The sun came out and it was a beautiful sight to see raindrops gleaming on the tree branches. The photo below, a Kwansan Cherry Tree in full bloom, was shot with a regular iPhone camera by my husband (a close up): 

Next, I grabbed my iPhone and joined him on the front porch and happily snapped away. (I may not have told you, but I’m in iPhone ecstasy, finding so many different apps and downloading several camera ones to achieve different effects with my pictures). The following were shot with Instagram, which gives you about 10 different effects to choose from when you save your image. Of course, you cannot see the raindrops glistening on the trees; I would need a macro lens for that, but I thought they were stunning nevertheless! Well, perhaps that's overstating it, but I do like them.








The red spot in the one above is a reflection from the sun and I probably shouldn't include it but I do like everything except the spot. I like seeing the sun.

After a while, we walked outside. There's something so special about the way it feels after a storm. The light is almost surreal and the grass is a great deal greener (there IS a scientific fact to that, so I'm told; something about all the nitrogen in the rain; but I defer to my amateur meteorologist husband, who knows these things.
I'm back inside now with the window thrown open to feel the fresh air and listen to the peepers telling me spring is here. Darkness has descended and all that remains of the storm is a greener lawn and the thought of having to clean eight paws later when the dogs are taken out for their goodnight wees.
How was the weather at your place today?

4 comments:

  1. One of the things I am constantly commenting on is how amazing the storms are in this part of the country. And they can start or end so quickly. I just love it. Your description and photos capture a lot of my awe. And I actually envy you the 8 wet paws! Dogs are so cute in the rain!

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    1. I like summer thunderstorms best. The smell is so good after the rain. Believe me, eight wet and sometimes muddy paws are no fun for me!

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  2. Great story and wonderful photos. The storm yesterday was somewhat different from most we have here - the sun kept coming thru making all colors in the sky and a wonderful rainbow. I love spring storms too but yesterday the lightning got a little too close for comfort here. Looks like more coming today.

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    1. 9p.m. tonight and no thunderstorms yet, Maybe they will miss us tonight. We don't need more rain!

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