Before the storm

Thursday
Knowing that there was the likelihood of a thunderstorm in the afternoon, we got out for a walk after breakfast, at Long Branch Farm and trails. While we were getting our hiking boots on, another car parked near us, and a gentleman got out with his camera and tripod, and came across to speak with us. He said he hadn’t been here before, but he had read that there was a small heron rookery here, and could we give him directions. Roger started trying to show him on his phone, but then I said that’s where we were headed, so he could come along with us. He was a chatty fellow, and explained he had just fairly recently got into photography, and was still learning about places to go. He of course detected our accents, and that led to conversation about travel, and he told us he had served in the Army for 20 years, and that had taken him to various different countries. Once we reached the herons nests, he was thrilled, and started clicking away. The last time we came, we had only seen three nests occupied, but by now there were ten or twelve. We must have stood chatting and watching the birds for about 40 minutes or so, by which time the clouds were moving in, and we excused ourselves, so we could get some hiking in before the storm arrived, which we could see from the weather app was heading our way. We didn’t hike as long as I had planned, but we could see we needed to get back to the car, and sure enough, we hadn’t been in the car more than a few minutes before the rain started. We had some fairly heavy rain and lightening and even some hail. However, more storms came in the evening, a succession of them, with lots of sheet lightening. And it was still raining when we went to bed, though by then the lightening was pretty much finished.