lightning strike

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Trekmoor
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Location: Scotland

lightning strike

Post by Trekmoor » Mon Jun 05, 2017 6:31 am

I took Ghillie the 4 months old lab pup and Edge the 2 years old springer for a quick walk in the wood in between rain showers this afternoon. All went very quiet and still apart from the leaves that began to rustle even though no wind seemed to be stirring them. After spending most of my life outdoors I know what that sudden "stilling" and leaf rustling meant so I headed back to my house as quickly as I could. I didn't get there in time.

A flash was almost at once followed by an almighty peal of thunder that I think I felt underfoot. Even though I was expecting it I still gave a little startled jump and so did Edge and Ghillie ! I quickly took off my hat and threw it, Edge took a fraction of a second longer than Ghillie to recover from the "bang" so Ghillie got to the hat just before he did and completed a very nice retrieve with it even with Edge there to distract her.

I have had dogs that were frightened of thunder before and was happy to have thought of throwing my hat so quickly today for these two retrieveaholics.
I wonder how close to here that lightning struck ? I think it was very close. 30 + years ago I had a very lucky escape from a lightning bolt while carrying a gun. The lightning struck a telegraph pole a few yards from me then seemed to arc down and into my gun ....and me ! I gave an involuntary muscle spasm and that resulted in the gun being tossed away ! I was both stirred and shaken but completely unharmed .....lightning is funny stuff !

That same day I'd had prior warning of the impending thunder storm. The crows all flew out of the nearby woods, went into the middle of a large field and lay out flat on the ground ! At the time I wondered what the heck they were doing ......I soon found out ! Their instincts were a lot better than mine !

Bill T.

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Sharon
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Location: Ontario,Canada

Re: lightning strike

Post by Sharon » Mon Jun 05, 2017 12:47 pm

Wow. That's scary stuff. I've got a 500 year old oak tree in my backyard - covers 6 properties. If it ever gets hit my house may be gone - and maybe me. :)

fishvik
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Location: Idaho Falls, ID

Re: lightning strike

Post by fishvik » Thu Jun 08, 2017 9:00 am

As a wildland firefighter I was on a lot ridgetops fighting fires started by lightening and had strikes from other storms come close. The wildest lightening strike situation was when we witnessed a lookout get three direct strikes in one storm. To say the least the lookout was a little shaken after the storm passed and she came back in service.

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