Distant Thunder

In "Life on the Mississippi," Mark Twain said, "I scratch my head with the lightning and purr myself to sleep with the thunder!" Thunder, the sound made from filling the vacuum created by streaks of lightning, is a miraculous noise. It signals the coming of rain. Its origin helps form the chemical soup that becomes the source of so much life on the planet. It is a reminder that we are humbly at the whim of wildness, after all. Aside from creature voices, it is one of the most reassuring sounds I know of.

DISTANT THUNDER was recorded in Belize during a gentle passing of cumulous weather cells some distance away. Never loud or intrusive, the event lasted a little more than an hour, the rain and mild rumbling nearly lulled me to sleep it was so calming and even reassuring. It was clearly Nature’s way of showing a mild face.