Rain, Rain, Go Away.

So far, this area of the midwest has struck me with it's beautiful simplicity, but really I thought there wasn't much to be thoroughly impressed by.
Last night, however, I was introduced to the raging intensity of an Iowa thunderstorm. It starts with vivid displays of jagged lightening tearing the dark sky in half with the speed and ferocity of a snake bite or a wild cat's claw aimed at tender flesh. Power only found in nature.
Giant booms and cracks of thunder follow it closely, shaking the ground and houses, and so intense it feels like the roof, the trees, the sky and the whole world are falling down on top of you and you can do less to stop it than an ant beneath a shoe. Torrential downpours of rain sweep everything away with rushing rivers of water that quickly overtake measly tennishoes to lash at your ankles.
Thirty seconds outdoors in such a storm has a person soaked and chilled to the bone. I was indeed thoroughly impressed, amazed, and, honestly, scared. Now I completely understand how the Cedar River could rise so high so fast and completely overtake it's banks, the buildings, and everything in it's way.

So.. fact of nature... Midwestern thunderstorms are a force to be reconed with.
Being caught in the midst of one is a humbling experience and an great reminder that Mother Earth created us and she can take us out just as easily.