[R-390] Grounds

[Shoppa, Tim]

Barry writes:
> I was stationed at Ft. Riley, Ks and the thunderstorms there 
> were more scary because they were just so big and you could see them 
> much farther off as they grew.

I grew up in the midwest (Iowa) and when I moved to
California, I really really missed summertime thunderstorms.
In 8 years on the West Coast, I only once saw a storm that
had any appreciable lightning activity.

Temprement wise, I think that some people like me actually
find thunderstorms relaxing. The ozone in the air, the steady
roar of torrential rain, the bright flashes and booms I
actually find calming. Now I'm in the mid-atlantic and
although the thunderstorms aren't qualitatively as good
as the storms I grew up with, I am quite glad that
I'm back where we get thunderstorms.

Of course, being from Iowa I'm quite used to tornado watch and alerts too.
To somebody who didn't grow up in tornado alley, here is how they work:
A tornado watch means that you should put a new tape in your camcorder,
and be sure it's readily accessible.
A tornado warning means that you should go up on your roof and try
to get some footage of the tornado so that you can be on the TV news. It's
very handy that most town in the Midwest have tornado sirens, just in
case you aren't watching TV or listening to a radio when one comes.

Tim N3QE