Nature is a blast.

News.....

Hot, it is hot. 

I'm not complaining just stating the obvious. I stay up late unravelling in the coolness of the evening, slipping back into my old self a cooler calmer me.

I am not a sun worshipper or a heat sucker, maybe in my youth but no, not now. Daytime rituals have become second nature of getting up early before the heat rises, from room to room l roll down the blinds and flick on a fan. In the kitchen, kettle on as coffee is imperative to wake me out of auto-drive.

The blinds flick and rattle in the slowing breeze that l know inevitably fade in a couple of hours but l enjoy it while it's there.

Coffee in hand l watch the News on television, a favoured part of early mornings for me. I want to know who has done what, when and where. There are many breaks for weather reports in the morning, keeping people in the loop for their transit journey to work. The weather reports kick off with off with "Gardeners, If you have been waiting for rain you are in luck" 

My ear prick up and my eyes glue themselves to the screen, a respite? A let up of this heat for a day?

The report depicts storms in the South-East rolling in from France over the English Chanel and into England.

I laugh to myself, they never get here and are dispersed into the ether never to drop and bit of rain usually. I am a pessimist with the English weather and more so a storm brewing. Believe when seen is my philosophy.

I turn of the TV and leave with the planted seed neatly in place and a sliver of hope in my heart.

The day spent keeping cool or trying too, being too hot and being cooled by the fan as the breeze that was faded. No Air stirred to even enough to lift a feather from the window sill and stir it in the air. My mind fuddled by the lack of air melted away through day with the mundane duties of editing photographs and trying to sort and categorise. I was fading fast, in the distance l could here muffled rumblings of thunder, l sat smiling to myself, the lonesome  cheshire cat.

The air stilled and thickened and birds were becoming increasingly silenced. 

The muffled drums of natures voice were gaining momentum and distant flickers of lightening dribbled through the clouds lining. Ever darkening skies and more still and more humid the atmosphere became and my smile got bigger.

It was right, the weather report was right. Something in gut knew this was going to be worth something, this was not a feeble attempt that would fizzle out after two minutes. The drumming was getting nearer and light show was beginning, nature was asking us to stand up and observe.

I duly did and watched from the three sides and outside of the house, the darkening deep blue, grey sky filling with low bubbling cloud. The flashes and forks of lightening throwing themselves recklessly from one side to the other, damning anything in its path. Fierce gusting squally rain showers hitting and stinging my face that dispersed as quick as they arrived but the light and noise went on for a few hours.

Standing on the doorstep and tucked under the porch, half in and half out of the front door l stood.

The camera, myself and hope.

I stood, sat, perched, leaned and smiled for a few hours with no experience of storms. Self teaching and self damning.

Nature is a Blast. 

and finally patience paid of...