Flashes of Light Across the Dark Sky

Just about time to get up this morning, storms rolled in. First a gentle rain fell, then in a style one would expect from Fred Astir in a movie, all dressed in white tie and tails, top hat being waved in a grandiose way , the wind came in and the trees all bowed. With a bit of a haughty attitude it seemed.
Lightening flashed for over two hours. White light would change the scenery for a flash in time. A second perhaps. For that tiny frame of time the world did look black and white. A moment come and gone in one single flash.
I sat in my office chair mesmerized. Thinking of all the ways nature relates to life. This flash of light, so much like the seconds in our life. There, done and never to be repeated the same way ever again.
A thing of beauty and power, much like love.
So much energy in each bolt, if only we could harness it, (sounds like a toddler !)
As the thunder grew closer and more often, it reminded me of some loud obnoxious person, repeatedly speaking about himself. Must have had that thought from experience with company Tuesday night. Or maybe it is like the voice of a boss, barking out orders left and right with no compassion to be found.
I fought the urge to go outside and sit in the rain to watch this storm, hail was expected and it wasn't a safe thing to do anyway. But the power of the storm held me captive.
For all the beauty of the storm, there was one aspect of the storm that troubled me deeply. Usually I love the smell of the wet ground from a rain storm, and my nose being so sensitive I can usually tell rain is coming long before it gets here. That damp earth smell being carried on the wind. But last night, there was an iron type smell with the storm. It smelled like blood. It frightened me, it was so strong and unusual. I so wished I could turn off my ability to smell at all. Where was the smell coming from I wondered ? Was it some sort of omen ? Was the earth telling me something that I really didn't want to know. It made me think of an old song by Joan Biaz, I don't even know the name of the song or more than it has words about blood being spilled on the earth, it was spoken words if I remember correctly, before the singing starts. It was a war protest song and not a comfortable one to listen to.
By sunlight, the storm had ended. I burned incense, 3 sticks at one time, to chase away the smell the storm had brought with it. The smell that came with the rain, left me with an ominous feeling as if I half expect to hear of some world catastrophe today.
I pray it is not so.

On to the mundane, food shopping day. Three stores at least. Health food stores and one market for veggies.

The picture has nothing to do with anything, other than I like it. Its those small glass pieces you find in craft stores. I just like how they look in black and white.