Of Thuderstorms and strange internet cafes

I'm at Pennsic War, and the weather is less than ideal. West coast girl that I am, the humidity is killing me.

However, last night the weather had an upside. We had a doozy of a thunderstorm, a weather phenomena I really miss as they do not happen often in the great NorseWet.

I sat out by the fire and watched the light show in the clouds for a couple of hours before the serious rain started. It is a little more intimidating to watch one of these while camping in a canvas tent, with a tarp day shade the only place to both be able to see and be covered. There was very little thunder, and very little visible lightning, but the flashes in the clouds would light up the entire sky to almost mid-day brightness. Natural fireworks at their most dramatic. Eventually the real rain blew in and drown the fire, and I stood under the corner of the kitchen day shade for another 30 minutes or so watching the fury of the rain and wind.

Eventually I decided I'd had enough and wandered down to my tent through the rain to go to bed and make sure that the stakes hadn't pulled lose from the sodden ground. Yep, another problem we don't have in An Tir.

Just as I took the turn at the bottom of the hill, a huge visible flash of lightning split the sky directly in front of me, ending behind the tree line to the east. The thunder clap was delayed by a second or two, close but not immediately on the Pennsic grounds.

Here's the funny part. As soon as I endered my tent and turned to secure the door flap, the rain stopped. Completely. No more lights, no more thunder.

No, I don't think I'm that good. But I do think the natural powers that be put on a fantastic show for me last night :>

And yes, the laptop I'm writing this from is in a tent.