Thunderstorms

When I was a little girl, before my sister was born, my mom, dad and I lived on a beautiful island in Sarasota called Siesta Key.  You may be familiar with the name because today it is a very popular vacation destination in southwest Florida.  It is still as beautiful, but much more crowded than when we lived there all those years ago.  Anyway, my dad traveled a lot then, and mom and I spent much of our time exploring the key.  The one thing I remember best is the days we made a point to head for the beach whenever a storm was brewing out on the gulf.  And we never missed one if we could help it (unless there was lightning).  There were never too many other people on the beach, but those who were there would be packing up quickly to head in, and mom and I would pass them as we made our way across the wide expanse of white sand toward the darkening water.  Close to the water's edge is where we could best feel the effects of the change in the weather.  The sky would darken before the wind started to shift and pick up intensity, and we would smell a change in the air.  Soon the wind began to blow harder, it's air cool on our faces, and we would run up and down the beach twirling in circles, flapping our arms and laughing out loud, caught up in the excitement of the approaching storm. To this day, I love the anticipation of a good, old-fashioned  thunderstorm, when the heavens really shake things up and let loose with the wind and rain.  By the way, my kids and I have been known to do the same thing even now.  But you don't need a beach to experience this, anywhere will do.  So, the next time a storm heads your way, give it a try and have fun!