Thunderstruck

Keeping me on my toes

After my idyllic day last week, things took a turn. Storms rolled in every afternoon forcing me indoors. I’d do my usual chores in the morning and optimistically begin a project. Like clockwork, I’d pick up the drill or sink the shovel into the ground- and a thunderclap would ring out through the hills.

Moody Skies

I have no problem working in the wet and a bit of thunder is okay too, but when lightning is involved I prefer to run for cover. After all, I am on one of the highest peaks around. I’m thankful for the higher mountain to the east, as I’ve seen it get struck more than once.

My first summer here was lush and green, and the wild strawberries were plump. I’d never had a huckleberry before and enjoyed them for breakfast every day. I suspect this spring is like the one that kicked off my first summer here. It makes me hopeful for a lush and abundant season.

Since coming here summers have been hot and dry. I’ve never seen this much rainfall- It’s fantastic really! I’m noticing wild plants thriving that never seemed to grow before. Until the hail started, that is.

I call hail ‘subalpine rain’ because half of the time when it precipitates here, it’s hail.

While the town below is getting rain, I’m often getting pummelled by hail. The past few afternoons dropped some large ice balls. Luckily it wasn’t large enough to dent my vehicles, though it did destroy some things.

Sad greenhouse

Really, the greenhouse roof was inevitable. We had a laugh as we discovered the destruction. It didn’t stand a chance! The hail blew right through it, leaving little discs of plastic everywhere. With the roof of the greenhouse gone, I see an opportunity to try a different and more cost-effective material- plain old vapour barrier.

What didn’t make me laugh was the plants. The wild edibles that were popping up everywhere were decimated! The leaves of my nettles were torn from the stalk. The spring beauties are gone and probably won’t be back until next year. Just when I was getting excited ..*sigh*

Though seeing my greenhouse roof obliterated and the plants mangled took the wind out of my sails, it brings to mind ‘the beauty of impermanence’. A principle that I didn’t fully understand until a trip to Nevada, involving burning an effigy. It’s best to enjoy and make the most of things while they are here. There’s something beautiful in knowing that things change and won’t stay the same.

Though I didn’t get to harvest any puffballs, I’m glad to have seen them. I look forward to the next beautiful moment, no matter how fleeting it may be.