Hail! 24 June 2008

We’re at the tail end of an extremely severe thunderstorm with rain running like a creek off roofs, frequent lightning and thunder, flash flooding, and hail.  I can see the back garden from inside (though not very well from the heavily rain-streaked windows) and I am unfortunately unsurprised to see that the larkspurs have been flattened; they’re fairly or completely horizontal, though it looks like at least some of the individual flowers are intact.  (I’m quite glad I cut a few of the main flower spikes earlier today, carefully snipping above the secondary spikes’ tiny buds, still half-hidden amongst foliage on the main stalks.)  I can’t see most of the front  garden from inside, so I’m not yet sure what damage might have been done.  I was outside shortly before the storm started so strongly so quickly that my cat’s fur was soaked because it started right in pouring before he even had time to leap out of the window, and I saw that several of the nasturtium seeds had sprouted today after yesterday’s heavy rains.  I hope they are all still okay, tiny little two-leaf sprouts in a world of hail and heavy rain. Now the western horizon is glowing a pale, fragile gold.  Soon the comparably soft remaining rain should end and I will be able to open up the windows, letting the cool, wonderful-smelling post-thunderstorm air into an apartment still tasting of the now turned off air conditioning.