The soft cotton candy clouds floated lazily by as I lay on my back watching a wren work feverishly to build her nest in an opening to the barn�s loft. The gentle breeze blew locks of my hair over my face and eyes. It was a beautiful day. It was one of those days that you just have to slow down and take in all that is around you. The smell of freshly cut grass permeated the air. There was the sound of a farm tractor in the distance, birds chirping, and the occasional squeal of a delighted child playing in the yard down the road. I lay there in wonderment and awe at my surroundings. It wasn�t long that I begin to hear the distant rumblings of thunder. Repositioning myself, I watched the dark clouds roll in, bringing with them the power of a spring storm. The sky suddenly darkened, making it seem as if time itself was in fast forward and night was falling while I watched.
The wind picked up dramatically and the temperature dropped. Trees began to blow in the wind and leaves popped against my face. I brushed the leaf and my hair away and watched as a dirt-devil rose as if by magic out of my garden. It picked up a resting Monarch butterfly as well. I watched helplessly as the little butterfly flew crazily in the tiny tornado fighting to escape it. At times seeming to fly backwards, it fought with all its might to overcome the strength of the wind. Then, suddenly, as if on cue from some powerful being, the dirt devil was gone! It had just vanished into nothingness. The now battered, but triumphant butterfly gathered her bearings for a second or two on a telephone guide wire, then flew away. She favored her left wing slightly, but was no doubt, happy to be going home.
The wind blew harder and began whistling through the limbs of the pecan tree I sat under. There was a loud crash and I turned around just in time to see a sheet of tin come peeling off the roof of the barn. It flew haphazardly through the air, drifting about, as if it were being held up there by some sort of magic. I watched in amazement as it just floated up there like a piece of notebook paper or a Wal-Mart shopping bag.
Another group of Pecan leaves hit my face just as a huge flash and a giant clap of thunder hit. It caught me off guard and I jumped automatically. I smiled and giggled at myself for being so silly. Knocking the leaves away, my mind drifted to being aboard ship while in the service. I would love to have watch aboard ship if there were any storms in the area. You see, I love storms! Especially electrical ones! I�ve been this way as long as I can remember. Even as a little boy my mother would threaten to spank me if I didn�t get back into the house and away from windows. I would risk spanking just to sit and watch the storm rolling in. Aboard ship out at sea I would lean against the railing and watch them with as much enthusiasm as I did at six years of age. It has never faltered. I still love storms.
As the leaves hit the side of my face and the wind played games with my hair, I allowed myself to drift away and wander to a far away place. Fingers of lightning raced across the sky both where I was, and in my mind. Then I see you, like I always do. You are walking across a green meadow, your dress and hair tossed by the breeze. You are walking to me and I am waiting on you with outstretched arms. Electricity jolts through my body as our fingers touch fingertip to fingertip. Taking you into my arms I am suddenly aware of that smell of ozone, that smell of lightning in the air. It is mixed with a sweet smell of vanilla, a smell I know very well. I have smelled it in a thousand dreams. As I pull you down to my blanket, I see the reflection of a lightning bolt in your eyes. I smile and hope that this is what heaven is like, because I simply cannot fathom a thing any better than this moment, right here, right now.
