Donner und Blitzen
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Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
I realise this may be so commonplace for many of you that it’s hardly worth mentioning, but we had a tremendous thunderstorm on Thursday after I arrived home from hospital, of which, more later. . . maybe.
I sat for a while with the patio door wide open, relishing the fresher air that was coming into the house and thinking about my altered reaction to storms. When I was a child, thunder and lightning sent me into a panic and I hid behind chairs, or, if in bed, under the covers.
My mother didn’t like storms, either, though she didn’t hide from them. She told me that her mother, whom I never met, was very frightened by them and would cover the mirrors and draw the curtains to stop lightning being ‘attracted’ to the house.
One teacher I knew took great care to explain the physics of electrical storms to her class of seven-year-olds. Satisfied that she had delivered the lesson simply and clearly, she was extremely annoyed the next day when a little girl told her, ‘My daddy says the thunder is God moving the furniture in heaven.’
Young children and many adults require frequent repetition and a level of maturity before they can accept and absorb an unfamiliar concept!
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Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
I was surprised to discover that there is a Donner und Blitzen River in Oregon. The river, in eastern Oregon’s high desert, was named Donner und Blitzen – Thunder and Lightning - in 1864, by an Army officer of German origin who was reluctantly crossing the river during a thunderstorm.
The area is known for episodes of dry thunderstorms, in which most of the rain evaporates before reaching the ground. The lightning that accompanies them is a major cause of wildfires, striking dead trees and other tinder dry material. At some times of the year such thunderstorms are a nearly daily occurrence.
The river runs for sixty miles through marsh and canyons, encompassing unique ecosystems and unparalleled wild trout fisheries. The Great Basin Redband Trout is a native species, protected by the Steens Mountain Protection Act of 2000 which created the Donner und Blitzen River Redband Trout Reserve to monitor the water and improve the habitat.
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
That's a fine looking fish and delicious too I bet. When I was a child thunder and lightning storms sent me out onto the porch to watch the show, my brother too, we loved them and still do. My sister stayed inside and I don't remember if she was ever scared but I don't remember her hiding from it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe thunderstorms were scary because we didn't have them very frequently. None of our current animals are bothered by them, thank goodness.
DeleteThat river looks stunning Janice - how beautiful. My Mother used to go around unplugging everything from the wall whenever we had a thunder & lightning storm. She said its so it doesn't blow the electrical points. I did laugh at what the little girl said to the teacher - how precious. xx
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten about unplugging things. I wonder if people still do.
DeleteWe had lots of thunder and lightning storms in Indiana where I grew up. They're not very common in coastal Northern California where I now live. But we dread them because so many wildfires are started by the lightning during dry conditions.
ReplyDeleteThe wildfires are terrifying and seem to be more frequent and vicious than ever.
DeleteWe always said it was God moving the furniture in a storm. I always liked storms until one day while watching one, in the garden ,with my ( at the time ) young children , we saw the house opposite struck - the noise was tremendous and the chimney collapsed........it was scary and I've been a little less gung ho about storms ever since.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Goodness, that must have been terrifying.
DeleteI heard the same as a child about thunder but I knew it was nonsense. I would not have thought there was much fish protection from an environmental need with the river being in an elevated desert. Human fishers must be the problem. 'Though, maybe a company might like to test drill for oil. That would be a problem.
ReplyDeleteIt's always the humans that cause problems . . .
DeleteI love a good storm (when I am inside and safe) - it excites me through and through. Such awesome power. xx
ReplyDeleteAll that terrific energy - the air becomes charged with positive ions.
DeleteThunderstorms often evoke strong memories and emotions, and it's interesting to hear about how your perception has changed over time. Your mother's and grandmother's reactions to storms highlight how such fears can be passed down through generations!
ReplyDeleteThe Donner und Blitzen River in Oregon sounds like a truly unique place, with its dramatic weather and important ecological role.
(My latest post: UK Tour 08 - Linhope Spout Waterfall)
Understanding and education can overcome fear.
DeleteThat's a nice explanation to move around furniture in heaven ! I should have told that to my mother, I wasn't afraid of thunderstorms but my mother was, I was a little girl maybe 7 I went with her in the basement because she got hysterical, she thought a bombing would arrive ! She trembled like a leaf in the wind and I hold her until it was over. I found thunderstorms rather romantic ! Especially at the Garda Lake, when 3 or 4 thunderstorms coming from the mountains lightened the lake ! That was a noise !!
ReplyDeleteOne is enough for me, though I know they can go round and round.
DeleteThe thunderstorms are never fun to go through. High humidity and the heat just make going out miserable.
ReplyDeleteThunderstorms are meant to clear the air, but they don't always do that.
DeleteWe don't get many thunderstorms up here...not hot enough..but as a child living in London we regularly experienced some cracking storms. My mum always hid the cutlery and unplugged the TV to avoid lightening strikes.
ReplyDeleteUgh...lightning...darned autocorrect!!
DeleteI didn't know about hiding the cutlery:-)
DeleteHi Janice - I really don't like mega storms ... that one went through to the north of Eastbourne - we've had v little rain. Good to hear you're home safe and sound - stay well ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteA couple of hours later the ground was dry again. It was fearsome while it lasted.
DeleteThe lightening is what frightens me. In general though, I do not mind a short lived storm. Hope you are OK and enjoy Sunday.
ReplyDeleteLightning is so unpredictable.
DeleteMy grandmother was terrified of thunderstorms. She always had rosary beads in the pocket of her apron and immediately when she heard thunder would take the beads out and pray. I'm not sure whether I heard this tidbit from my parents or while in parochial school, but thunder and lightning was because the angels were bowling. 🎳 That story always amused me.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of angels bowling - wish I could draw as it would make a wonderful cartoon.
ReplyDeleteAlthough in recent years it seems to have gotten a little bit better, thunderstorms still terrify me! It's "donder en bliksem" in Flemish, by the way ... xxx
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