Living near farmland

One good thing about living near rich farmland: rural photo opps!

It was 90 degrees or so. The humidity was near 100%. And after months of summer almost nil of clouds in the San Joaquin Valley...we got clouds!

This midday display was within hours of a severe thunderstorm that rumbled through the Modesto area. By 5:00 pm, the thunder and lightning was crashing around us with no delay between the two. At one point, I had the front and back doors of the house open...and the show was in brilliant, vivid stereo.

No...I chose not to go outside during the deluge, even for dramatic photos. Neighborhood kids were running up and down the block as I contemplated telling their mothers about the likelihood of these children being fried to a crisp...literally. In fact, one Modesto woman was struck by lightning during this storm.

Our little backyard, metal-framed gazebo was not where I wanted to be either.

By the way, I found myself standing on a red ant mound (in open sandals) while snapping this shot. They were very active ants...getting ready for the storm and trying to figure out how to get me off their front door. No stings though.