Thunder and Rain

Deep, bone-jarring cracks of rolling thunder awakened me from sleep early this morning. The initial peals of thunder were followed by what seemed to my sleepy brain to be echoes of the noise, smashing against the ground and back up against the sky and then back again, each bounce creating an unearthly growl. I heard the thunder some time before it woke me. I know that because the thunder somehow shaped a dream I was having as I heard it. I don't recall what I was dreaming, only that I was having a dream and thunder changed it. Isn't it odd how I can be so sure that happened, but am utterly at a loss to know just how it happened or the specifics of my dream?

I looked at the clock when I finally bridged the gap between sleep and wakefulness; it was just after 5:00 am. I didn't get up right away. I waited for at least an hour, and probably drifted back off to sleep, with the thunder as my mind's companion. Then, it occurred to me: it's Saturday, I can't waste the day on sleep! So, I got up and made a pot of coffee. Time to start this day in earnest.

Rain has been falling, on and off, but mostly on, since before dawn yesterday. Yesterday's drive home from the office was very, very wet, with sheets of wind-blown rain beating against the windshield so heavily that it was hard to see the cars ahead of us at times. The streets were flooded in many places and the stoplights at intersections along the Tollway were flashing red in all directions...that happens almost every time it rains heavily. It was a long drive home. And the rain continues this morning. The thunder was simply a signal, I think, that the rain is back. It came down very heavily for awhile before I got up and continued after I made my coffee, but it seems to have slacked off a bit now.

I didn't start blogging until later than weekend-normal. It's almost 7:00 am now and I have only been at this a few minutes. I have been waiting for the sky to have enough light so that I can see outdoors. But it's still very, very dim outside. I can tell the day will be another very dreary one. From the looks of things this morning, we won't see any sun today...we'll see low clouds, rain, and it will be chilly, but not cold. From the looks of it, at least.

I need to sit back and enjoy my coffee. More later, perhaps.