Symphony of God
So, last night I experienced one of the coolest things about working in the MonDak area (eastern Montana-western North Dakota) - the most awesome thunderstorm I have ever seen. One of the things this wild country is known for is severe weather from -30 blizzards in January to 100+ heat waves in August. You know the Emergency Public Broadcast System that they sometimes test on the radio? You know, "This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. In the event of an actual emergency (blah blah blah). This is a test, this is ONLY a test"? Well, out here, they actually use that system pretty often to warn of thunderstorms, blizzards, and tornados. I personally have heard it interrupt radio stations for five separate incidents since moving out here in January. Anyhow, last night I had to make a run to a rig about 100 miles east.
As I left my rig, I could see very active lightning strikes off to the north, along much of the horizon. Both large cloud-to-ground bolts and chain lightning were in evidence, and a few times I saw two or more bolts strike simultaneously some miles apart. A couple times I saw simultaneous strikes much closer together. It was quite impressive from a great distance, perhaps 20-30 miles. Little did I know I would soon be IN that storm! I was heading to a rig 35 miles east of Williston, ND, which is about 60 miles northeast of my rig. Approaching Williston from the south, I could see the storm approach from the west. The lightning was even more impressive closer in, as strikes were occuring every two or three seconds and several strikes were bright enough to completely illuminate the entire area. The wind had also picked up, gusting at around 65 mph with sustained speeds over 50. About this time, the EBS notified me that the severe thunderstorms approaching the area had a good chance of producing tornados, in addition to the damaging winds, torrential rains, penny-sized hail, and massive lightning strikes. I was passing through Williston when the storm really caught me. It was easily the heaviest downpour I have ever driven in. The rain was so thick the wipers couldn't keep up with it, and due to the wind it was actually raining sideways. My visibility was reduced to about 25 feet max, except when an especially bright lightning bolt would temporarily turn night into day, effectively blinding me. Then the hail started to hit. In all honesty, it sounded like rapid-fire .22 bullets bouncing off every side of my truck, or like standing in a tin shack being constantly pelted with gravel from every direction. I could barely seen the lane markings on the road, and I prayed that I was not the tallest object around (luckily there are a few trees in this area, unlike the plains farther east). At one point I considered pulling off at a farmhouse and waiting until the storm passed, but I had no idea how long it would last, so I continued on. Finally I made it to the rig - it took me 50 minutes to travel the 35 miles, and I was thrashed by the storm literally the entire way from Williston to the rig. When I got what I had come for, and spent some time talking with a friend of mine there, I left to find the wind, rain, and hail had finally passed on to the east. The lightning remained, however, and with a clear field of view I was able to observe strikes in every direction, with such frequency that there was always one visible somewhere in the sky continuously, for about an hour. And the strikes I saw were nothing short of phenomenal. Last night, I saw one bolt of skyborne lighting fan out into a many-fingered spread, I saw an arch of lightning formed by two groundstrikes and a bolt connecting their tops, I saw a couple massive bolts that started out as one and branched into two or three before striking the ground. I think I even saw lightning strike the same place twice (can't be sure, as it was hard to tell how far away it was). I saw purple, blue, yellow, and white lightning. It's hard to describe just how spectacular the scene was. The speed, the randomness, the fury - the raw, unbridled power - the only words I can sum it up with are the title of this post, which suddenly came to me last night as I was in it. I wish I could show you what it was like. Maybe I will someday, when there is technology to visually display human memories.
Besides that, things have been going well. I got back out here on Sunday evening, after being in Casper for a week off. At the very end of that week off, I finally found a place to live! I'm sharing a three-bedroom house with two roommates. Now, I can afford to live on my own, but there are several reasons I chose this setup: first, I have no rental history, so it would be very difficult to get into any place besides an apartment, which would have no yard, no garage, and arguably less privacy. Second, with my work schedule, it's actually very nice to have a roommate to keep an eye on my things while I'm gone for weeks at a time. Third, the landlords were willing to not only give me full rights to the one-car garage and additional space to park my Jeep next to the house, they're also willing to let me bolt a gun safe to the floor - all for no extra charge. Fourth, utilities (except cable, phone, and Net) are included in the rent, which is less than I'd pay for a one-bedroom house with a single garage, and the house is fully furnished except for beds and dressers. Fifth, the landlords are very cool people, who offered me dinner, wine, and a hand in writing up the lease. Finally, my roommates are an 18 year-old small town girl on her own in the city for the first time, and a 49 year-old woman who is a traveling nurse. As
pandoradeloeste said, "Sounds like a sitcom - or a porno." I'll let her share my reply to that. All told, should be a very interesting living situation.