Freak of Nature

This cold weather is too much for this desert rat. Tonight, after work, I was parking my brain in front of the television when I heard this rushing noise. I thought maybe the wind had finally kicked up and was blowing the rain against the window as it has in the past, so I didn't really give it much attention. My mind was tired, so I wasn't using my brain any more than I had to. Besides, I had just eaten and taken my antibiotics and put drops in my ears, so I wasn't in the mood for any excitement.

Then there was this bright flash of light followed by a tremendous blast. When lightning strikes up here, it's rare, and it usually only involves one or two bolts. But, I thought I would be on the safe side and go turn off my computer...which involved getting out of my chair, putting my shoes back on, and going out to the room I call "the shop" out by the garage...where my computer is.

On the way out, I looked in the garage and saw this:



Oh, man, I better type fast - I just heard more thunder (though it sounded like a cloud-to-cloud strike, so perhaps I'm OK). Anyway, the pavement was covered with this stuff!



I realized that what I had heard was a hail storm. Like a giant ice maker in the sky, nature just decided it was time to dump the tray; the ice was ready. This all appeared, literally, within a matter of minutes. Strangest thing I ever saw (or heard - which I was able to hear because I finally got to see the doctor today)! By the way, the little white dots above the white blanket of ice in the pictures are from the camera flash reflecting off falling raindrops.

Here is a shot of someone's car that was parked in the street. Because it was dark out (usually is at 9:30), I was unable to really capture the scene, so a few close-ups is all I've really got to show.



And here's a shot of the street.



I guess I was one of the first on the scene, as several minutes later, I could hear people hootin' and a hollerin' around the neighborhoods, playing in the streets. What a racket they made! Even a neighbor from upstairs came out in his pajamas to take pictures. It was the weirdest thing - people actually wanted to be IN the stuff. About thirty minutes later, the street was bustling with cars, people out driving around on the ice-covered (steep!) hill. That's about the dumbest thing I could think of doing at that time. Yeah, the sky just opened up and dumped a layer of ice on everything - let's go drive around in it!

I was dumbfounded and amused, and annoyed by all the traffic and noise that disrupted what otherwise would have just been a beautiful, serene thing to simply observe. People are easily aroused, I suppose, by things they don't see every day. Anyway, it was unusual...and disturbingly cold...so it makes good blog fodder, because I can sit here with the heater blasting on me and write about it. ;)

Now it's time for me to finish watching my TV show.