Summertime Views: Thunderstorm Passing Over

Hola darlings!

The weather in SE Wisconsin where I live has been totally opposite of the drought conditions we suffered through last year.  Incessant rains and storms and flooding, some severe (but not in Milwaukee County where I live, small blessing), to the south, west and north of here - seems like forever but it's probably only been for the past two weeks or so.   Now the farmers are complaining that it is too wet to plant.  Last year, it was Dust Bowl!

This evening, the forecast was for hit-or-miss thunderstorms during rush hour and after.  After getting off the bus after work, I dashed as quickly as I could to the Pick 'n Save to pick up necessaries for the weekend (such as wine, bread, cheese, and peanuts.  Then I hiked the 9 blocks home, mostly up-hill. I made it home free from rain (but wet from sweat).

A few hours later, about 8:30 p.m. or so, all of a sudden it started pouring buckets of rain outside, but the Sun was still shining from the northwest even as it was headed toward dropping below the horison.  I thought -- there may be a RAINBOW outside, and I dashed out to my front porch to look - it faces due east.

Sure enough - RAINBOW!  Then I thought -- maybe I can get some photographs!  I quickly ran back inside and grabbed my 2005 Nikon Quick-Pix and ran out to the front stoop. I'm not a good photographer, but that doesn't stop me from trying, LOL!  So here are some pics from this evening, as the RAINBOW did appear.  The rainbow is the symbol of the the Male God's promise in the Old Testament never to destroy the Earth again by water (ala' the Great Flood).  While the rainbow was glorious in the southeast, the Sun was setting in the northwest!  And Maison Newtonm sandwiched in-between, doncha know, I had a great view!

 

The thunderstorm was moving rapidly from the northwest toward the southeast end of Lake Michigan.  This is a view from the end of my sheltered area under the overhang on my garage; it kept me more or less dry for the few seconds it took to dash out to take this and several other photos that were mostly "bleh" -- looking toward the southeast.  The rainbow's arch was GIGANTIC and not sure why, but it disappeared from my angles before going half-way up the sky!  Can you see the rain?  And that patch of blue sky to the south!

The photo above was taken just a few second before the first photo, from a fractionally different angle.  There was a double rainbow!!!  You can hardly see it, but it was definitely there, just for a few moments, and then poof, it was gone. 

While the magnificent rainbow was arching gracefully to the southeast, I snapped this photo from the front of my house toward the northeast -- I could not see the end of the rainbow, unfortunately, but the beautiful colors  of the storm clouds and the sky as the Sun was setting, the thunder was booming and the rain was falling -- just was so beautiful!  I would like to decorate a room in these colors.

Rain started coming down had (again) and I retreated back to my covered front stoop -- this is a photo facing northeast, the same direction as the previous photo but up higher because of the step-up from driveway to the stoop.  On the left you can see the support column for the little peaked roof that covers my stoop!

Above, a view due east from my front stoop.  The purple maple is my "street tree," just to left of center; across the way, center, is one of the large cottonwoods that stradles the border between neighbor on northeast corner across the street, and neighbor on the southeast corner across the street!  To the right of the cottonwood is another purple maple street tree, one of several that lines the east side of my street and my neighbor's to his lot line.  To the left, on the far left, you can see the evergreen tree that is featured prominently in the photo just above this one.  All the different colors in the sky and the trees -- and I tried to capture the sunlight gleaming on the north side of the tall cottonwood!  What can I say - it is just so beautiful.  If only I could capture on film what my eyes see!

A last photo of the rainbow (facing southeast) as the Sun continued to set and the rainbow started to fade in the sky.  It was still raining.

This photo was taken from the southeast corner of my garage (underneath the overhang for some little protection from the rain) looking toward my backyard toward the southwest.  The colors in the sky are just magnificent!  As you can see, I have several tree.  I am very lucky to have them.  The then-sapling trees on the lot were one of the reasons I bought it in 1987. 

Somewhere over the rainbow....