Lightning Strike

Are you afraid of lightning?  If you are not, you should be!  I was outside sweeping sidewalks this past Sunday, and it had been a very nice day.  We went to church, Rog smoked some delicious ribs on the smoker and Luke baked a german chocolate cake and Rog did the homemade coconut pecan frosting for the cake.  While I was sweeping, it was thundering and lightning, and sprinkling a little rain.  I never have worried too much about thunder or lightning, because I have to feed horses and goats every morning before work, no matter what the weather.  While I was sweeping, there was a HUGE KABOOM, and I could feel the electricity crackling in the air.  I thought that a transformer in our neighborhood had been struck by lightning, but we still had electricity, so I didn't worry too much.  Vegas was outside with me when it struck, and we both jumped a foot off the ground, it was so loud and scary.  We didn't get any wind, and only about 2/10" of rain.  I went to the barn about 1 1/2 hours later, and was shocked by what I saw.  The lightning had struck one of our trees in the goat pasture.  The tree was originally about 50 feet tall and 3 feet around.  The lightning had shredded the tree, split it into many pieces, and had thrown huge pieces of tree about 30 yards away.  One chunk, so big I could not lift it, and still had the roots attached, had been catapulted out of the ground, through the horse fence, skidded along the tin of the horse barn, and landed about 30 yards from the original tree.  I am so thankful the horses were not at the barn and were out in the pasture during the strike.  The goat pasture looked like a war zone, with huge branches and tree trunk everywhere.  It was sad losing such a beautiful tree, but our sweet little goat, Sissie, was a casualty of the strike.  I found her dead at the base of the tree that had been struck.  I'm not sure if she was struck by lightning, or hit by the flying pieces of tree.  I really loved her, and miss her tremendously.  I was so upset at the unfairness that this happened to such an innocent and sweet animal.  Rog reminded me that she had a good life.  She was about 13 years old, and we had her for about 10 years.  She was a joy, and is greatly missed.  Here is a picture of Sissie girl.  We will never forget her, and have been very blessed by her presence in our lives.

The message for all who read this, is be careful when it's lightning and thundering outside.  Mother nature is extremely powerful, and lightning can be very destructive and dangerous.  I will never again treat it as lightly as I used to.