Thunderstorms and Lightening

As of last Thursday we've been in our house for one year. Over this time we've had some crazy weather happenings, but all in all we really enjoy the climate of the Pacific NW. One thing that has been different for us is the lack of thunderstorms. We've never lived in an area that didn't have them, especially in the spring and summer. In the past 12 months, I heard some distant thunder only once and that was during the night, which Bob slept through. So, it was a surprise to experience a "thunderstorm with lightening" yesterday afternoon.

I was reading a book around 4:30 and I heard some rumblings that I mistook for something I just couldn't put my finger on. I wondered if it might be thunder, but quickly dismissed the idea...I mean, we don't get storms here. Well, in a short while I was proven wrong because there was more of it and "it" definitely was thunder, with lightening thrown in for good measure. Then, it started pouring rain, which may not sound unusual for this area, but in fact, it is! Most of our rain comes in a mist and we actually have very few days where it rains all day. It's an interesting misconception that most folks have about the northwest. It is true that we have a good amount of cloudy days, but Seattle's average yearly rainfall equals that of NYC! Anyway, it was kind of fun to have that storm yesterday...it packed it's punch and then some blue skies appeared to end the day.

I think it's routine for people to talk about the weather wherever they live. Since in most places it is always changing, it's a topic that always seems new. Some like it hot, others like it cold. I've heard it said that we have what is called a "Mediterranean" climate. All I know is that for the most part, our temperatures exhibit no extremes...it's like we're on an even keel and for this time in our life, it suits us well.