The first four minutes of this sweet video tells the tale. Overnight and into this Monday has been magic for much of California. We weren't relieved tonight by anything having to do with El Niño. The storm that brought down this thunder and lightening was born far north of El Niño's reach. I suspect an ignored Sara Palin conjured it up and sent it to the belly of the beast.
Those of you not experiencing this monumental drought in California may have forgotten the pure simple joy of watching needed water fall to our earth. Combine that with the even more rare experience of vigorous thunderstorms in the Bay Area and it gets the pulse racing.
As the line of storms approached Vallejo, lightening arced across the sky, shaking an unaccustomed house with fury. My fur stood on end and I sat on the back porch watching it all unfold. First came a sustained wind that seriously worried me. I could hear things blowing down the alley. Small hail quickly followed with thunder and lightening shrieking overhead.
Our puppy Sophie stood steadfast while the feral cats sought higher ground under my feet.
It hasn't rained like that for over nine months. I couldn't have been more thrilled.