June Desktop Inspiration

I have one memory of waking up screaming as a three year old in the midst of a violent windstorm at my our cottage in the foothills of Alberta. It is quite possible that I was already having a childhood nightmare and then waking up in the dark with the shadows of raging pines swaying back and forth on the livingroom wall was just icing on the cake for my active imagination. Fortunately, that memory did not instill a lasting impression on me in regards to how I view stormy weather. Our home out west sat on a cliff atop the river valley of the South Saskatchewan River. We had a clear view to the south and the east and it was from these directions that most of our summer storm weather came from. We, as a family, would often sit on our front step watching the storm come in with all its fury. Usually, it was a fantastic light and sound show first, then as the action moved closer the wind would pick up. It wasn't until the driving rain started pelting down that we would move inside.

It is with these healthy memories of storms where my fascination with this weather related came from and I often joke that in an alternate timeline I am a storm chaser. When time and opportunity permit I do watch what is happening weather wise - especially when some heavy weather is heading our way.

We were "fortunate" enough to have some spring storms work there way through our area near the end of May. Irena and I were heading back from a friends place - this strom was tracking north to south and we were able to keep 5 minutes ahead of the front where all the great looking clouds were. Just enough time to get back home, pick up camera gear and head south again. Being a resident of Guelph now for the past 20 years I have a number of angles worked out already in terms of clear space with not too many building in the way. It is so much harder to find spots like that here in southern Ontario where so much farmland is being overtaken by urban sprawl.

By the time I got to the spot I wanted the system was breaking apart. Areas to the north received heavier amounts of rain and I am certain that the cloudscape would have been even more dramatic had I had my equipment with me to start with. Yet another example where carrying my gear around all the time can pay off.
Despite that, I am happy with with the image. Now that summer is really here and the cool temperatures are done with I can only hope for pop-up storms on hot muggy days to provide some dramatic sky.