Stormy Weather

Sunset over Tysons last Saturday

111 days in Arlington and counting, and with still no resolution in sight. At least I have Mother Nature to keep me entertained. The Washington, D.C. area witnessed two brief, but violent storms this past week, and I had a front-row seat of the weather from our 21st-floor balcony...because like the fool I am I stood outside trying to film and photograph the goings on. But before the main acts took the stage, we had a preview of what was to come on Tuesday evening, with the skies darkening in the distance...:

...followed by a fascinating display of lightning:

A superstitious person on Wednesday afternoon might see into the presence of a crow on our balcony and conclude it was an omen of sorts. A more logical, Spock-like person such as myself would consult the weather app on my iPhone and know a storm would be rolling in later that afternoon:

And in it rolled with a vengeance. The videos below don't do justice to the intensity of the wind and the horizontal blowing of the rain, which actually had the balcony slightly vibrating at one point. Flash flood warnings were issued for the region, and I could see the cars on the streets below sending up small waves of water as they drove through:

The real showstopper, however, came on the following evening. The storm that blew through on Thursday may not have had the wind and water of Wednesday's deluge, but it more than had the electricity. I've long been fascinated with lightning storms, and this was one of the most impressive I've ever witnessed. My video skills and photographic equipment being what they are, I naturally missed most of the truly spectacular flashes. I also wasn't able to capture the bolts that struck uncomfortably close to home (the nearest I came coming at the very end of the next video below). Still, I hope the following short clips give some idea of the intensity of this storm:

The rain and lightning on Thursday brought an early end to the long-awaited Opening Day Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and the host Washington Nationals. The game was called after five innings with the Yankees on top 4-1.

If you think there are an excessive number of weather-related content in recent entries on this blog, you're probably right. They're indication of how limited are our entertainment options while under coronavirus-related house arrest. Plus it does seem to be an exceptionally moist summer so far in the DMV...

Speaking of moisture, it was drizzling early on Friday morning, but that didn't stop me from going out on my weekly trek. The temperature yesterday was relatively cool compared to the 90°+ Fahrenheit (or 30°+ Centigrade) days we've been "enjoying" the past few weeks, but the humidity was thick as I made my way as usual down to the Potomac. The fewer people out on the streets the last few months as a result of COVID-19 seems to have emboldened the local wildlife. For example, these geese (which I photographed while en route) wouldn't budge from the trail as I made my way back home. We may be in danger of losing our place on the top of the food chain:

100 minutes on foot one way from Ballston took me right up to the 14th Street bridges:

According to my Fitbit, Friday morning was the first time for me to exceed 20,000 steps (20,052) in one outing. If Authorized Departure continues for much longer, I'm going to be in excellent shape by the time we get the okay to return to Ethiopia...

...provided I stop going out every afternoon for yet another overly-sweetened, calorie-laden 奶茶. Curse you, Kung Fu Tea 功夫茶, for being so conveniently located:

Even when masked, my daughter looks better than her father while drinking tea: