Fish on the roof

The wind socks were beyond straight out horizontal. A 60-70 MPH wind put them into the gutters. The wind played with the trees--bending twisting--just to establish that it was still the "boss", although they bucked and swayed like wild horses. The house creeks, pops, and there are thuds outside. The rain starts with huge drops, pelting the windows, highlighted by lightening. There is rumbling, howling, tapping--much noise. The dishes and the windows rattle--from wind and the rumble!

The lights dim, flicker. The sky is black--tumultuous,churning, spewing forth rain at a pace that turns the gutters into waterfalls, and the downspouts into fountains at the connectors! The weather radar is decidedly beyond red to maroon--"most severe". Walls of rain descend on the yard, flattening the grass in waves.

Then, there is silence--nothing moves. It is as though the wind is exhausted--but the strange glow in grey sky leaves the uneasiness hanging in the soggy air. Little flashes of lightening look like firefly blinks against the dim landscape. And there is a low rumble--intermittent, but threatening.

Thus are sudden, violent spring storm. Intense, unrelenting, overpowering, and yet somehow fascinating. The leaves that have clung to the trees are heavy, bottoms turned up by the wind. Chairs are tossed, branches snapped.

As the sky lightens, the fish dangle idly in the gentle breeze. Soon it will be safe to go out to see if the shingles are still intact. The power of nature should never be underestimated!