A Dark and Stormy Night

Kitimat is a beautiful town snuggled into the mountains.  My new walking route takes me along the lookout area of town and for my exercising efforts I am rewarded with a beautiful view of the mountains gently meeting the Douglas Channel.  Even from our back porch we enjoy a lovely view of the mountains.  Well, some days we do.  Many days, and sometimes it feels like most days, the mountains are blocked from sight by thick fog and low lying clouds.  Heavy mists and rain often accompany the fog, and once they move in they often stay for days and weeks at a time.  These days are not unpleasant, in fact there is something cozy about these days and I often do my best cooking and crafting during these times.  However, like anyone else who lives in a rainy place, I do enjoy when the sun decides to come out and grace us with it's presence.


So you can imagine how thrilled we are that we have been experiencing weeks and weeks of beautiful weather.  There is the odd rainy day, but for the most  part the sun has been shining, the birds singing, and the air is filled with the sounds of lawn mowers and kids playing outside.  One day last week, the temperatures were exceptionally warm and it actually felt like summer.  Interestingly, it got hotter as the evening came on, instead of cooler as is usual.  Until suddenly, it wasn't hot; it was actually getting downright cold.  A strong wind began whipping around and the sky got darker and darker.  My husband and I looked at each other and one of us observed that it felt like we were going to have an electrical storm.


Electrical storms are unusual here. This evening however the air was electric and one just had the sense that something big was about to happen.  We stepped out onto our patio and were taken aback by what we saw: an huge, ominous black cloud swiftly making its way over the mountain tops.  The sky was getting blacker and blacker, and we knew we were in for a show!


We quickly ushered the dogs outside for a hasty bathroom break before the rain started.  They obviously knew something was up because they didn't linger long in the yard.  Tinky in particular seemed distracted.  Once we had them inside, we quickly closed windows and unplugged appliances. We heard the first rumbles of thunder while we were on the patio moving our herb and tomato plants to a safer spot under the eaves.  We immediately started counting to see how far away the storm was.  The first flash of lightening lit the sky just as we were placing the last few plants safely away.  We got ourselves inside and settled in to watch the storm. 


The storm moved quickly and soon it was directly overhead.  At one point, my husband saw chain lightening but I missed it.  We were looking out the front windows when we noticed that the black cloud had made its way around the mountains, bringing the storm in a circle around the town.  The rain was quite heavy and at times torrential.  We also had a few moments of the unique phenomena known as "sideways rain."  It was at this point that we remembered that the windows to the Jeep were open, and that even though it was under the car port, the "sideways rain" would find its way in.  My husband dashed out to shut the windows, and someone dashed out with him to help - Tinky Wink.  He turned to usher the little guy back into the house and noticed that our normally unbelievably brave little Yorkie was glued to the spot with fear.


We got the little fellow inside but he was overcome with the shakes (which had started with the thunder but had increased since his dash into the rain).  Our fascination with the storm took a backseat to our concern for little Tinky.  He is, after all, an older guy and there seemed to be no calming him down.  We grabbed a wool blanket and swaddled him up.  We took turns cuddling him, while Molly and their doggie friend Zorro (who was visiting) checked on him periodically.  He gave us a little scare, but thankfully, he weathered the storm.


The storm gradually moved off. leaving the air clear and cool.  And while it was exciting to observe nature in all its awesome power, it also made me grateful for my snug little nest. As I drifted off to sleep that night, I was thankful for many things.  A wonderful husband, beautiful pets, a warm home, and safety from the storm.