I saw the most AWESOME thunderstorm!!

Okay so I admit it, I've had a pretty rough time of it recently between school, attempting to find work, house and pet sitting, and family business. So, my solution? I did what any self respecting Floridian would do, and I went to the causeway to see salt water. On my way to the beach I noticed dark clouds looming north of where I was headed. They were up by Clearwater and I was headed to Dunedin and Honeymoon Island. I wasn't too worried about them hitting me, but I called my mom in Tennessee to be sure. She looked at radar and claimed that I was right - I had a while before they'd make it to me. I love the internet; I can call Tennessee and find out if I'm going to get rained on in Florida - now that's a cool trick!

I didn't have much time but since I had my roller blades in my car, I went skating. The wind was ridiculous and I was skating on more sand than asphalt, but it was great. On the horizon over Caladesi Island and Clearwater I could see the massive thunderheads. They were incredible! Bolts of lightning were striking the ground all around the area, but the sun was still shining as the last rays of it peered through the clouds overhead. The surrounding skies were turning midnight black as a wave of thunder seemed to push the storms to sea. It was so bright where I was in comparison to everywhere else that it made my small beach look like the beam from a flashlight in a blackout.

I love a good thunderstorm although they don't seem to like me. I almost got struck by lightning once in a car on my way to the lake with some friends several years ago when a lightning bolt fell from the sky and struck a telephone pole about ten feet away. Another time back in high school I was home alone one afternoon with my dog, and my house got struck. The power went out, my dog sat on me, and some paint got blown off the wall along with some dry wall in the garage. That was when I decided not to mess with Mother Nature. I enjoyed my skate and the thunderstorm today, but when palm fronds began falling from trees because of the wind, I headed home. It was a nice evening though, and the perfect ending to a pretty rough few days. I still love Florida, and salt water can still work wonders on me. I'm hoping to go sailing this weekend with a friend, but only time and tide will tell.