Oops, I did it again...

Last night was quite a night for thunderstorm activity.  We had a storm pulse up suddenly to our east and actually move over our house.  Frequent cloud to cloud and cloud to ground lightning was popping all around us.  As the storm moved to our west, it really got inflamed, and the lightning became constant. Suddenly, another cell initiated to our east, so we literally had it popping on either side of us.

With the frequency, I couldn't help but try my hand at shooting some.... yes, again.  Realize that I do not have many good angles from my house.  There is the west view, which has a line of VERY TALL trees about 100 yards in front of us.  There is the north view with yet another line of very tall trees about the same distance away.  The east view, where our shed and the neighbors house block my view and trees beyond that and then finally, the south view... house, tree.  It's a storm chasers nightmare of home placement.  Oh, how I would love to live on an open field with a wonderful view of all angles. 

Clearly, I am not geographically placed well for shooting lightning from the abode, and until I really nail down my technique and get a remote for shooting, I am not venturing out to a field like some chasers I know (who get great shots, by the way).  I am just not there yet. 

As the storm was east, I scurried into my sunroom to shoot from there... through the opened screen door, which kept slamming shut on me, and the rain was pouring in and covering my camera... no good.  As it moved west, I chased it to the front porch, but I couldn't really get any good bolts... the storm was immediately overhead and most was cloud to cloud lightning at this point. 

When thunder roars, go indoors.  

So... I went into my garage for the more open northward view.  Technically, I was indoors... with a really large door open right beside me.  I didn't get any shots and the storm had moved further west, so back to the porch I trudged. AND, I got one!!

He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. Job 36:32

I love the detail of this CG lightning strike.  I love how it webs out.  This photograph is untouched (hence the water droplets on the lens).  The corner is the edge of my front porch.  The view is to the southwest, where a local said they heard a thunderclap so loud that they thought their windows would burst.  As far as technique, I am still not where I want to be with my lightning photography, but I think that will require me stepping out into some scenery and getting away from the trees.

Until next time,
~Dewdrop

A little night magic...

It's been a while since I have stood outside in a thunderstorm (I don't recommend you doing this!!! When thunder roars, go indoors!) to shoot lightning, but hubby suggested it tonight when it seemed like it was popping every second. Of course, when I got out there, Dewvoid kicked in and things started to pulse down... typical. I was, however, able to nab a couple of decent shots before it completely fizzled out.

You see, back on the 4th of July, I was inspired to start playing with the settings on my camera, and there we were with 10 boxes of sparklers and my camera and well... we got creative. I figured out how to get my shutter to work to my advantage. It was such a fun time, and I felt so completely inspired.  It was so much fun!

I really haven't been all that inspired to shoot weather since I haven't been on this blog. On my paying gig, I had access to all sorts of stock photos so I got a bit lazy... I forgot what I loved about shooting weather.  These pics aren't great. There is definite room for improvement, but I am interested in doing it again, so that's a big bonus. I had forgotten the tingle in my stomach while reviewing shots and seeing that I GOT ONE!!!

I have missed that feeling.  I actually bounced into the house with a childish grin on my face.  I will continue to work with settings and technique, but I think I am on to something.

Until next time,
~Dewdrop

Storms Don't Scare Me!

Why don't storms scare me? 

I don't really know.  I can't say that it's my faith because I haven't always had faith, but I have always had a passion for weather.  I know people who are terrified of weather (kind of like my brother under the bed hiding from the "lightling").  I know people who beg me to do something about the storms, make them go away.... ummm... I know I've got tremendous Dewvoid.  I know people who pray the storms away... OK, I do actually get that.

Dewvoid: (noun) The absence of significant weather events within a close proximity of me... only cause I think significant weather is really cool.

Perhaps there is an opportunity there to sell my services (storm stopping) to wedding planners and bar mitzvah  coordinators.  You want pretty weather for the event, just invite me, guaranteed sunshine! "Stopping severe weather in a single bound.  It's a bird, it's a plane... no, it's Dewdrop."

I have actually had a conversation recently with a friend at the National Weather Service office who was discussing with me a solid squall indicating severe parameters of wind, and "they" had placed me in the severe warning box. HA!  I told him that it looked like they forgot the Dewvoid in forecasting, and he jokingly said that he should make sure the radar guys draw out a significant Dewvoid parameter... moments later, I was drawn out of the severe warning when the storm completely pulsed down.  You see, it's scientifically proven.  But, I digress.

So, why are so many people terrified of "bad" weather, while I face it head on without a care in the world??

I guess it's not fair to say I don't have a care in the world in the face of severe weather.  I have a healthy respect for flash flooding and would definitely turn around rather than drown.  It simply isn't worth it.  I definitely have a strong respect for lightning and its death inducing potential.  When thunder roars, you should head indoors.  I do that most of the time, OK, OK, some of the time.  Sometimes, I go out on the porch, in the back yard, or in the garage (with the door open) trying to nab a shot. Talk about role reversal, my daughter is usually the one trying to drag me inside.  I know better. I have storm chasing friends who have had some bad experiences. I have been known to seek out rotating wall clouds just to watch them spin, but I did freak out a bit when I ended up in the Drop Zone, this one time on accident because south Georgia roads twist and turn so much and you have really limited visibility for all the trees (Disclaimer: storm chasing in south Georgia is not safe, at all).  I have a healthy respect for all things destructive in weather.  Heat, flooding, lightning, wind... gosh even big enough hail can kill a person.  I get that.  The threat is real.

But then... I see a sky like this one here.  This is what showed up after a severe warned thunderstorm rolled through one evening, recently. Do you SEE that?!  It's amazing. 

I guess, for me, it all comes down to striking beauty.  There are times when I look to the sky, and my breath is literally taken away.  My eyes are lured to it; I find myself enthralled with the splendor and glory of His creation.  Sure, the severe stuff is dangerous and can be quite ominous, but the beauty I see seems to outweigh the danger.  I mean, I have seen shelf clouds that look like the mother ship, slinking across the sky, all it's layers and colors and texture.  I have seen cloud to ground lightning, light up a sky in brilliant shades of purple, as its web-like tendrils scatter through the atmosphere, cleaning the air.  I have seen rotating wall clouds, mere feet above the ground, wider than a football field, just barely moving, not hurting anything, just being stunning.  The beauty keeps me seeking more; it draws me in.

I am Dewdrop, and I am obsessed with weather, cause it takes my breath away.  I can't get enough.

I am not scared.  I love it too much!

Till next time,
~Dewdrop

YOU are a STORM CHASER?!

I have to admit, it is quite the conversation starter.

"YOU are a STORM CHASER!?!"

I think if I were geographically located in the plains somewhere, it would be a bit less shocking, but being in south Georgia, I get quite the reaction. I often joke that I am geographically misplaced.

"You mean, you actually go out looking for tornadoes?!"

Well. Sort of.  I started back in 2006, shadowing a local storm chaser, learning everything I could about severe weather.  I started this blog, and I started connecting with storm chasers throughout the United States.  I made some great friendships in the process and learned so many tricks of the trade.  I really have enjoyed getting to know people who share the same passion for weather as me.  It's an interesting community, full of its own little soap opera-like drama.  We have this thing in common though that causes us to converge.

I actually had a great opportunity to chase in the plains in 2007 with the Twister Sisters, Peg and Mel. We were actually shooting a storm chasing reality show, so I got an all expenses paid ride where we went out to chase a high risk, potentially dangerous situation... and missed the one tornado (a high risk with a total of two tornadoes that whole day) by about 20 minutes.  We had just left the Badlands that June 7th. Talk about bummed.  Leave it to the Dewvoid to kill a high risk day.  I was actually jokingly threatened by local storm chasers to be shipped to Hawaii to keep from killing their storms.  My bad.

I love weather.  I love everything about it.  I am drawn to it from deep within, and I don't really understand that.  We actually discussed it on that same trip, at one point while driving somewhere between South Dakota and Iowa.  What is it about storms that seems to lure us in like a moth to a flame?  Are we just crazy?

Storms are destructive and unpredictable and DANGEROUS!! 

Seriously, what is wrong with me that I would be interested in pursuing something that I could truly describe as deadly??

The easy answer... I don't really know.

Some locals here might eloquently say it like this...

"SHE AIN'T RIGHT."

But... I know that when I look at the sky as it churns angrily above me, I am mesmerized.   I find myself almost lost in it, watching it as it dimples and dips and draws in moisture and climbs to amazing heights while it's rolling and swirling and blasting me with forceful winds and launching electrical strikes.  

I am in awe.
I am mystified.
I am drawn to its striking beauty.
I am seeing something that is truly out of my control and completely in God's sovereign hands, and I love it.

As a recovering control freak, I think that last part might be a huge part of it.  I am not in control, and God is.  I somehow find rest in that.  I find hope in that.  I find courage and strength in that.  I am drawn to that which is way out of my hands, that is so much bigger than me or anything I can pretend to control.  It gives me peace to let the storm be the storm and me be the one in awe of it.

That's why I chase... I think.

Have a super fantastic day!
~Dewdrop

  

... and then, there was tonight...

DEW-YAHHHH!!!

Lightning strikes and thunder rolls

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by for this week's installment of SKY WATCH FRIDAY! Please visit Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Louise and Fishing Guy's SKY WATCH BLOG to participate in Sky Watch Fridays, which is WELL WORTH YOUR WHILE!! Thanks to Dot, the momma of this fabulous blogging event, and to my dear friend, Tom, who brought it to full blossom. I, personally, love visiting the skies all over the world!!! You should definitely come fly with us! In honor of Georgia's Severe Weather Awareness topic of the day... Lightning, I thought I would post my favorite lightning capture. I took the shot on August 23, 2007, in my backyard, well through the storm door that leads to my backyard. A huge thanks to Mikey for removing the rain drops that were on the glass. Though, heat is actually the number one weather-related killer and flooding a close second, lightning is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the United States. Most lightning deaths occur during summer months in Georgia and mostly while people are caught outdoors during a thunderstorm.

A single lightning bolt can be as hot as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit - hotter even than the surface of the sun.

Thunder is actually the sound of the shock wave generated by the rapid heating and cooling of air caused by lightning. Here are some very important safety tips regarding lightning:

1. WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS!!!
*** Stay indoors until 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder. ***
2. Lightning will usually strike the highest object in area.
3. Enclosed vehicles are generally safe, if you avoid contact with metal surfaces.
4. If you are in a forest, seek shelter in a low area under a thick growth of small trees.
5. If you are outside, and feel your hair stand on end, this indicates lightning is about to strike. Drop to your knees and roll forward to the balls of your feet. Place your hands on your knees and tuck your head down. DO NOT LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND!
6. If you are boating or swimming, get to land as quickly as possible.
7. If you are inside, don't use a telephone or other electrical equipment unless in an emergency.
8. Do not take a bath or shower during a thunderstorm.
9. Lightning can strike as far as 15 miles away from the actual storm.

Lightning should be taken VERY SERIOUSLY.

Today, south Georgia and much of Florida temperatures are dipping into record breaking territory with temperatures at or below freezing in much of the area, or in my case, where I watched the temperature drop from 20°F to 16°F during the hour I was getting ready this morning. With a hard freeze upon us today and tomorrow, many farmers are working to try to spare their crops from total devastation. It is really cool how that is done, they actually irrigate the crop with a heavy coat of water while the temperatures are dropping to allow a thick layer of ice to form, which works to insulate the plants from lower temps. It wouldn't be so bad, but they just dealt with freezing temperatures a couple of weeks ago.

All that said, I want to share this photo with you. I don't know who to give credit for it, but I have heard that there has been a protest, speaking out against the "Global Warming" theory, that the media has been cramming down everyone's throat. One particular Global Warming protest was very well attended...LOL! Thanks, Sis and Meso Mike, both of whom shall remain blogless... I appreciate y'all sharing the shot with me. Too funny!

Have a bright, sunshiny day!
~Dewdrop