Follow up blip

I never thought I would blip a hole in the ground, but this particular hole (as near as we can figure) was what preceded my lightning strike blip. (You can see that here if you missed it the other day. )

This hole in the ground is right at the base of a huge oak tree, the tallest tree on our property. The lightning struck right next to the tree, right where the wire for Gulliver's electronic fence runs along the edge of our property. From there it traveled down the wire a short distance and into the house where it blew apart the transformer for the electric fence. It migrated to the telephone wire and traveled down it to where that wire exits the house. There it blew a tile or two out of the floor before continuing through the wall to the telephone connection box on the outside of the house. It blew that to smithereens too. When the phone repairman came to replace the box today, he told us they don't see much of that kind of thing. We were a special case.

All things considered, we were very lucky. Our power never went off; it didn't start a fire; and everything is now back in working order except for the electronic fence. During storms I have always worried about that tree falling on the house, but I never pictured what actually happened. Lightning is a powerful force, wouldn't you say?