Midnight Lightning by Dave Diegelman

Midnight Lightning by Dave Diegelman

Midnight Lightning by Dave Diegelman

Nokie, our now departed Siberian Husky, used to get so scared when fireworks or electrical storms happened. She would loose all sense of direction and just try to escape often wandering to a neighbors house or even worse to one of the coyote-inhabited canyons nearby. The fear was so deep that one has to assume it’s a self-preservation instinct. I can relate having been out in the wilderness many times in terrifying electrical storms not really knowing where it’s going to strike and always questioning safety.

Viewing the same storm from the security of a porch near a warm house however, brings about a sense of awe and beauty that is hard to match. It stirs the senses into a frenzy of euphoria both to our eyes that get to watch the incredible show and also our nose that gets to take in the sweet fragrance of the rush of negative ions that fresh rain produces.

During our monsoon season I’m always on the prowl for a good storm to photograph. They are usually fleeting and distant at best. Getting “skunked” with no suitable images is most often the result of the elusive chase. My wife Cristina, having endured many such “chases” with me, doesn’t always share the same enthusiasm. Much like preparing a good meal, it takes a lot of time and patience but unlike the gratification of feasting, the crumbs of famine are often the only fruit until next season’s display.

Sometimes God unleashes His spectacular artistry just to let us know that it’s not about us nor our pursuits, rather it’s about His timing and kindness to usher us into box office seats. During the shooting of the Midnight Lightning series was one such occasion where I had to keep pinching myself just to know it was real. The images only represent a small glimpse of the display witnessed. To my wife’s delight we watched it from the comfort of our rear porch and as fate would have it, Nokie did not have to endure it…at least not from here. She may have even enjoyed it from Doggie Heaven.

To see this in sequence in my gallery click here: Midnight Lightning

PS  If you continue to the next image in the gallery you will notice a fire burning in the lower right-hand corner where the above strike hit.