Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.
–Mark Twain, In Letter (1908)
Had a little excitement yesterday at the studio though I wasn’t present for the event that caused it all.
While we were in town doing a few errands, a storm came through with heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. We got home just a few minutes after the rain had stopped. I made my way to the studio and, as I climbed the back steps, my nose caught a waft of wood smoke.
It was nothing new since we had had a number of days filled with the smoky aroma from the Canadian wildfires but this felt like something else. It would have been odd for any neighbor to have a fire burning at that time on a weekday, especially after a storm. Decided I better investigate.
Going around the back of the studio, I spotted some smoke among the tops of the stand of trees that are about 60-70 feet from the end of the studio. Drawing closer, I could hear the crackling of fire then spotted the tree. It was one of the big white pines that are abundant on the property. This one had two trunks and running down the one nearest the studio there was a slash with fire flaring out of each end and smoldering embers between.
There were large chunks of the trunk littering the ground which was evidence of a lightning strike. I had seen this a number of times before including on another white pine not far from this where, after a lightning strike, I located chunks from the tree that had been blown 50-60 feet from the tree by the explosion that occurs when the lightning superheats the sap and moisture within the tree.
The fire department was called and they came promptly and doused the poor old tree. Unfortunately, the firefighters provided some excitement of their own when their larger truck hit the silty side of my studio driveway, sliding off and settling at an uncomfortable angle with one of its rear wheels off the ground. This also blocked the driveway completely, trapping the several fire vehicles already there until a large tractor trailer tow truck came to extract it. Thankfully, there were no other emergency calls in our area while the firefighters were held captive at the studio.
Finally, with the tanker freed and satisfied that the struck tree was no longer a threat to the trees or forest canopy surrounding it–which was my concern since we are surrounded by forest– the fire team left. Many thanks to the prompt reaction of the Town & Country Fire Department. Good guys and gals.
The tree now has a deep charred hollow running up it. It will have come down in the coming days since the portion above it, which is at least 40-50 feet, is weighted in a way which could send it in a couple of different directions, toward the studio or power lines, if it were to snap and fall. And with the damage to the lower trunk that is more of a when than an if.
It’s powerful stuff, that lightning. It is like a sonic reminder that nature is big and you are small. Our neighbors said that the lightning strike had made them nearly jump from their seats and if you’ve ever been near a lightning strike, you know that sound. Here’s a song from 50+ years ago that I haven’t heard in quite some time. Seems to fit. This is Chi Coltrane with Thunder and Lightning.
Redtree Times 