Pioneer Weather

[livingdeb]

This morning we're having the kind of weather that, when I'm out in it, I think of as pioneer weather. That's because being out in this weather is the closest I ever get to being a pioneer.

It's pouring down rain, with thunder and lighting. So there's no telling when a road will be blocked by a downed limb or when you'll come across a new stream you will have to ford. When this weather is happening on the way to work, I feel like I have to try to keep dry, so I get to explore ways around the new creeks.

Then today I was also wondering about the wisdom of standing under a metal roof at the bus stop. Which was next to a pay phone that had a wire coming down from the nearest telephone pole. I don't know enough about electricity to know if that's inviting lightning to strike me. Or would it be better to be away from that structure, being a shorter target, but still holding my umbrella, with its metal rod, but also making sure my hand doesn't slip off the little plastic handle. In the end, I decided to wait under the eaves of a large brick building nearby. The lightning was getting closer and closer, but the bus arrived before the lightning did.

Comments

[sheenaqotj.livejournal.com]

I was going to write an entry almost identical to this. :) I was wondering the same thing when I was standing under the metal roof, only I was standing on the metal bench, as well. I had a discussoin about this with the other guy who was also standing on it, how a quick death by lightning could be more welcome than getting soaked at the time. :) There were no buildings nearby. Since I was relatively dry (Erik had dropped me off), I figured I was a pretty bad conductor, so lightning would have to be looking for an inefficient target to pick me.

There was this surreal moment on the bus when we were going down an unfamiliar road, through about 8 inches of water. It was very dark outside. I looked at the clock and it said 5:02 p.m.. I was pretty disoriented.

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Ooh, creepy!

I bet standing on the bench was the best way to stay dry with the wind blowing the rain under the shelter, but I never though of that. Shame on me! Everyone at my stop is too cool for such fun behavior.