Sunday was a crazy storm day! There were times when the rain came down in sheets so thick we couldn't see the trees in our yard. It sounded as if a train was going to burst through the windows at any moment!
There was thunder from far off but still rumbled through the house like a 4.2 earthquake; nothing to be afraid of in an earthquake but not reassuring during a lightening storm.
We sat down to a nice Sunday dinner. About 5 bites in to our meal the sun burst out from under the clouds in the western sky.
Frank looked out the windows behind him and bellowed, "heylskdjfalsdkfjioisnsky!"
We all stared at him, puzzled that none of the food fell out of his mouth, but we all knew what he meant!
Sun is out, there's going to be rainbows!
We grabbed out rain gear, cameras, put our shoes on, apologized to Rex (the dog) and Brinley (the baby) that they couldn't go; thanked Kate for the nice dinner and ran out the door.
The sky was black in the east, but the sun was popping in and out of thinning clouds in the western sky. We drove west to Millville Plains; we drove to Frank's tree (that's what the photo-people call a magnificent tree that Frank has been photographing for 20 plus years.)
We were the first car there, but soon the spot had several other local photographers pulling in their rigs and running out for a good spot to wait for the rainbow.
I brought a book. I wasn't going to get out in that rain and wind and get knocked around...or so I thought. Once you get to the spot and all the other photographers are running around like ants on a mission, you get caught up in it....and I forgot my glasses. No reading, might as well join the crazies!
Then the lightening started, more thunder, more wind....our photography just-in-case umbrella is safe at home in the garage...of course!
Frank caught some incredible photos. Then, drum roll please, the rainbow. Building slow, just a bright spot on the horizon, growing, growing. There it goes, almost half way across the sky. Just that quick a small cloud blew in front and hid all but a tiny section.
Several cameras took the shots, jumped in their cars and headed home...probably to finish dinner!
We waited and were rewarded with a double rainbow. Not much of one but still a double. I am embarrassed to show you mine, Frank's put mine to shame.
The sun peaked back behind a low lying cloud in the west. The rest of the photographers bailed.
"Are we going?" I called out to him!
He shook his head and pointed to the west. He could see a tiny sliver of blue sky just above the mountains. "Nope!" he said, "The sun is going to peak under those clouds and light this tree up! I'm going to catch that picture!"
We do a lot of waiting! Yup, a lot of waiting. Though this is one time that was just glorious. The sky changed by the seconds. Sometimes dark and gloomy and other times the color was orange and other-worldly.
Finally, a little flash of sunlight on the grass, climbing the hill and Kapow! The tree glowed, totally glowed. The drops of water in the leaves and branches reflected thousands of micro-rainbows. (again, his photo is so much better than mine, so here is his).
But I did get a photo of him gloating!
Not only did we get a brightly lit tree but we were rewarded with an almost-full moon just above the clouds.
All in all, it was a nice Sunday evening drive for dessert!
There was thunder from far off but still rumbled through the house like a 4.2 earthquake; nothing to be afraid of in an earthquake but not reassuring during a lightening storm.
We sat down to a nice Sunday dinner. About 5 bites in to our meal the sun burst out from under the clouds in the western sky.
Frank looked out the windows behind him and bellowed, "heylskdjfalsdkfjioisnsky!"
We all stared at him, puzzled that none of the food fell out of his mouth, but we all knew what he meant!
Sun is out, there's going to be rainbows!
We grabbed out rain gear, cameras, put our shoes on, apologized to Rex (the dog) and Brinley (the baby) that they couldn't go; thanked Kate for the nice dinner and ran out the door.
The sky was black in the east, but the sun was popping in and out of thinning clouds in the western sky. We drove west to Millville Plains; we drove to Frank's tree (that's what the photo-people call a magnificent tree that Frank has been photographing for 20 plus years.)
 |
| Photo by Toni Tona |
We were the first car there, but soon the spot had several other local photographers pulling in their rigs and running out for a good spot to wait for the rainbow.
I brought a book. I wasn't going to get out in that rain and wind and get knocked around...or so I thought. Once you get to the spot and all the other photographers are running around like ants on a mission, you get caught up in it....and I forgot my glasses. No reading, might as well join the crazies!
Then the lightening started, more thunder, more wind....our photography just-in-case umbrella is safe at home in the garage...of course!
Frank caught some incredible photos. Then, drum roll please, the rainbow. Building slow, just a bright spot on the horizon, growing, growing. There it goes, almost half way across the sky. Just that quick a small cloud blew in front and hid all but a tiny section.
 |
| Photo by Toni Tona |
Several cameras took the shots, jumped in their cars and headed home...probably to finish dinner!
We waited and were rewarded with a double rainbow. Not much of one but still a double. I am embarrassed to show you mine, Frank's put mine to shame.
The sun peaked back behind a low lying cloud in the west. The rest of the photographers bailed.
"Are we going?" I called out to him!
He shook his head and pointed to the west. He could see a tiny sliver of blue sky just above the mountains. "Nope!" he said, "The sun is going to peak under those clouds and light this tree up! I'm going to catch that picture!"
We do a lot of waiting! Yup, a lot of waiting. Though this is one time that was just glorious. The sky changed by the seconds. Sometimes dark and gloomy and other times the color was orange and other-worldly.
 |
| Photo by Toni Tona |
Finally, a little flash of sunlight on the grass, climbing the hill and Kapow! The tree glowed, totally glowed. The drops of water in the leaves and branches reflected thousands of micro-rainbows. (again, his photo is so much better than mine, so here is his).
 |
| Photo by Frank Tona Copyright |
But I did get a photo of him gloating!
 |
| Yes, he was right! The sun was going to light up his tree! |
Not only did we get a brightly lit tree but we were rewarded with an almost-full moon just above the clouds.
 |
| Photo by Toni Tona |
All in all, it was a nice Sunday evening drive for dessert!
DUDE! GREAT PHOTOS!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Always fun to shoot storms.
DeleteGosh, what beautiful photographs!
ReplyDeleteGood work!
Thanks, but can't call it work. Just crazy fun.
DeleteLoverly, loverly. Mine brother is a professional photographer in San Francisco. My favorite memory of him as a teenager is when we were in Wyoming - he was laying down on the trail, with the bugs and heaven knows what, so he could get a picture of looking up a flower so he could get one of the mountains in the background.
ReplyDeleteGreat memory. I have many shots of Frank in weird positions trying to get that 'magic' photo!
DeleteFun post, Rainbow Chasers!
ReplyDeleteThank you. We chase it all!
DeleteHow neat to go chasing rainbows like this and then to get incredibly great pictures!
ReplyDeletebetty
It is fun but one can get very ill standing in the wind and rain in one's Sunday relax-around-the-house clothing. Bed has been a great place to hold over!
DeleteSpectacular images! This is what you need to do to get great shots --- be a little crazy :)
ReplyDeleteI think that's what attracted us to each other, we're both a little crazy. Like the meme says, "Let your crazy shine so the other weirdos can spot you!"
DeleteThis post made my day!
ReplyDeleteGlad to make you smile!
DeleteStunning photos and that tree is just spectacular! Wow....
ReplyDeleteHugs Giggles