Thunder and Lightning … Oh my

it started about 10 minutes before 8 pm. The lightning looked as if it came from the sun, which was partially hidden by the clouds. I could see the rain over the ocean, too. Then I noticed a brightening of the sky to my north-northeast, but the thunder was distant … So the lightning must be, too. Over the ocean, there were many strikes of different types. Most were lightning bolts. Some were horizontal. I saw one long-lasting one which seemed to extend over the bottoms of all the clouds.

The lightning over the ocean headed north, and slightly east. It looked like it was going over land, possibly around Monterey Bay, perhaps Santa Cruz.

At 9:41 or so, it really picked up … Thunder was loud and close-really close – South Coast Ridge Rd above Prewitt. The dogs are going nuts. I put two in the closet with the light on and the door shut. A third hides at my feet under my desk. Five minutes later the rain came. It probably won’t stick around, but it’s sound is musical. The symphony becomes predominately the bass drums.

I have a feeling it will be a long night for many of us – especially the dogs.