I captued this shot today of a Storm coming , on a drive back to Wisconsin from  Minnosota ..... 

and this particular morning, i sure did.  hope y'all like em.

lightning_1_2 

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 muscular_sky_1_2 

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 *it's late, so my story kinda sucks.  hope the pics fare better than my tale.

...Thought I'd share some shots from a recent monsoon outing.

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I was going over some of my pictures today and I was looking at how many kinds of sky pictures I've taken lately from peaceful, to  stormy. It seems like Crepuscular rays make an appearance quite frequently in my pictures, but last week I caught this unusual ones over the Magic Kingdom after a storm. Very different than these clouds in Iowa before the storm. I've just learned to keep my eyes open to see what wonders I can catch with my camera, not only for sunsets, like I used to.

Life has suddenly become really exciting for me in the last couple of weeks with   new love, new places to  visit and oportunities to just  experiment with the camera, even met a few Ghosts . I posted yesterday an entry with several shots Chicago and mentioned the extreme heat that day. Well, while taking pictures of the lake I noticed the heat waves agains the boats in the water and I just had to snap a picture. One more thing that was really impresive were the storm clouds over Naperville. Now I am leaving in two days  on my way to Florida and I can't wait for what new things I can photograph down there.

I have to agree with Kerry.  Stormy day.  Saw Challenge.  Headed to the beach.

Beech House
Surfside Pier

While visiting the in-laws in southern Virginia a storm began moving in at sunset.

Storm 1
Storm 2
Storm 3
Storm 4

And, just as it got dark, the fireworks started.

Lightning 1
Lightning 2

Violent storms came through thursday. I looked out as they passed and noticed a rainbow ending in my front yard!!!! I was excited. It was then I noticed I already had a pot of gold.

when I got off work on Wednesday morning there was a hole in the clouds on the horizon and it looked like it might make for an interesting sunrise. It did not work out that way, the clouds closed and a storm moved in.

Sunrise Coming
Clouds Lowering
Lower
Rain Starts
Darker, snow and wind kick in
Snow in the headlights
Full Gale

It may look gloomy, but it's just another part of nature.

So the storms swept through Virginia last night and I had to get some photos of it.  The storm was fast moving and the colors changed so quickly!  I took pictures until my husband came outside, told me I was crazy, and made me come in.  Just then the lightening started and I decided that was a good idea after all!

heavy clouds gathering

puffy clouds and pink sky

scary line!

looking ominous

right before the lightening....

BEFORE ~~~AFTER

In Missouri, and most of the South, Sunday was a very stormy day.  My dad reported 5" circumference hail in NE Arkansas.

At our home, we sat with the windows open, relaxing to the sound of a nice hard rain.  No lightening or threatening winds.  Suddenly the rain stopped, the wind fell silent, birds were chirping.  Soon the birds fell silent, the sky turned green...and trampolines were flying through the air.  We found shelter in our crawl space until the 80mph winds stopped.

There was no tornado, just straight-line winds.  Here a few pics from yesterday.

Our Sub-Division
Uprooted Tree
5th Wheel Camper
Local Hotel (roof went across interstate and landed in opposite ditchbank)

and finally an upturned car.  Unfortunately, the driver had no insurance.

Other than collecting our patio furniture from our neighbors and living without electricity for 14 hours, we were not affected.

Hope all our photographica gang came through the weekend safe and sound.

Drove from to Santa Rosa today to pick up my son.  Took some shots along the way, including from inside the car during stop and go traffic (mostly stop). The clouds were so billowy they seemed fake, and then the storm provided some great photo opportunities. Love the Napa Valley views...even McD's looked good tonight.

Sign in the storm
Grapevines
Amazing clouds and streetlight
Mist off the tires
Napa Roadside
Sunset over McDonalds
Purple Flower
Clouds above houses

This one was taken near the foothills last week when the snow dropped to 1000 feet (it's been a doozy in CA this Winter).
Electrical Tower and snow on mountain

There is warmth, joy and enduring love...  even in a storm...

Yeah!  I spent Christmas this year at the beach enjoying 60 degree weather and my new Kodak Z740.  I drove my family nuts taking photographs, but loved it.  These are just a few of my favorites.  The stormy pictures are from Christmas Day.  We had a rain storm come through and I was on the beach in the rain taking pictures.  I have several new settings, I tried all of them out.  Some were set for beach, some for action, some for auto, ect..

Let me know what you think.

fish table on the pier
sandpiper
 bird at sunset
stormy waves
storm moving through
 under the Kure Pier

A few shots I got while chasing a storm one night.
these were very hard to get.lighting01
 lighting02
 lighting03
 

I posted this in the Photo Journal section, but folks there thought I should post it on the front page.  These are a couple pictures of the crazy cloud formations we get in Minnesota.  This first one is of an approaching storm. Forest fires out west gave the clouds that strange fire-like hue.  Honest to goodness, I did absolutely no PSing with this picture.  The second one is of clouds after a storm over the Nicollet Island Inn, which is right on the Mississippi in downtown Minneapolis.  Hope you enjoy.

This is my test of the Photo Journal feature.  These are a couple pictures of the crazy cloud formations we get in Minnesota.  This first one is of an approaching storm. Forest fires out west gave the clouds that strange fire-like hue.  Honest to goodness, I did absolutely no PSing with this picture.  The second one is of clouds after a storm over the Nicollet Island Inn right on the Mississippi in downtown Minneapolis.  Hope you enjoy.

As the Vancouverites can attest, we had one of the most awesome lightning storms in years last night. This is really one area that digital cameras excel... You can go through so many wasted shots before finally capturing that one elusive fork.