Thunder over Stoke.

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I got home in time to miss the worst of the storm. Thunder rolling over the hill. I stepped out of the car and only got a bit damp, but the lightening was coming, and with it the rain.

The heavy rain has now been falling for hours. I videoed a few seconds, but my phone was out of charge so I gave up trying to catch a lightening strike. I posted what I had recorded on Facebook. Water cascading from the gutter in front of my door, rushing down the hill, overflowing onto the pavement. The sky was dark and full up with energy.

Six hours later and the storm has rebounded back to us a few times, lightening flashes and the loudest roars of thunder I have heard in years. The lights flickered off and on at one stage.

I count the seconds after each flash. 2 seconds is a mile. So I can judge how far away the storm is, if the thunder rolls straight after the flash it’s overhead, if it’s heard after 2 seconds that’s a mile. Currently it’s rumbling 6 seconds after the flash so that’s about 3 miles away.

If you want to look at live lightening maps across the world go to https://www.blitzortung.org

Currently on the site the main storm is a few miles south of Stoke-on-Trent. Looking at the rest of the world the USA seems very active. I recommend turning off detectors and turning on the sound so you can hear how active the storms are. It’s safe to accept cookies but I close all ads.

Life’s an empty book

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When we first started our lives we were empty books. At the end, perhaps we are the same. When the memory dwindles and is gone. Thousands of days or years pass by. How can we be remembered? Our belongings may be passed down through generations, but eventually they just become remnants of a previous way of life.

I not trying to be melodramatic about this or emotional. I’m just contemplating my place in history, a short blip in a continuous spectrum of time. I’m trying to grasp as much of life as I can for as long as I can. Continuing to take an interest in the world and the best of humanity. I hope you are too.

Esther Chiltons Blog prompt “surprise”

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Surprise!
One night I dreamt that I would meet some friends on a road nearby, but since they lived 40 miles away and only cycled that seemed unlikely. I also remembered the dream was on a wet day. Things seemed very clear. But as usual I couldn’t remember the details when I woke up. Then a few days later we decided to ride out and meet some other friends on their farm. It was an overcast day as we started out on our 5 mile ride to visit them. But SURPRISE! In the distance we saw our friends cycling towards us. They must have had the same idea. But they were with some others. It started to rain and as the friends drew closer I realised they were with the people I’d dreamt of! Then we all took shelter under cover of a bus stop. Thunder rumbled and lightening flashing! I realised it was my dream!

2 cats

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Medium cat (left) and large cat (right) like to sleep on this chair. Usually there is a single occupant, but tonight they are sharing. The little cat is on the floor just exploring to find somewhere to settle down.

I’m glad they tolerate and cope with each other, the small cat is nervous and sometimes has a paw raised to her, but there’s very rarely a squabble and usually they chase together to pay. I think I will go  and settle down too. I’m struggling to keep my eyes open, the cats have the right idea. X

Seahorse

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For years I drew seahorses on the sand

A holiday tradition.

He would watch while I drew

Happy in admiration

Sunny, bright days,

Soft sand

Holding hands.

I started doing this

30 years ago

Seahorses gallop into the waves

Dragging my memories

In the undertow

Last week I walked towards a beach

Did not step onto it

Did not pick up a stick and draw

Did not depict this watery creature

I don’t know if I ever will

Again….

Sand particles washed and blown

Away…

Has my tide turned?

I don’t know…

Vesta meals

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Tasty 1970s food before real foreign food was a thing. I particularly liked the chow mein vesta made (I don’t know if it’s still manufactured).

This is my faulty memory, I thought it came with prawn crackers but when I saw the photo I remembered they had a little packet of thin strips of noodles that you had to fry so they puffed up into little squiggles of crispy noodles. I’m guessing that the food was cooked In pans, certainly it was before microwaves, and it was unusual to have anything like this (except dehydrated mashed potato). I remember the jingle ” for mash, get smash!”

Bright auroras

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Taken last night about 1.30am. I could see the sky was overcast, but it looked strange so I took photos again…. I think it must have been another aurora?

60 second exposures, sadly I can’t control the camera shake. I did not change the brightness or contrast, or alter them in any way. I only zoomed in a bit because the window looked to small in the original picture in my bedroom. I guess this shows if you can persevere you can get something interesting.