Lightning Strike

Summers in Indiana are accompanied by thunder storms.  Thunder is the sound generated when a sudden electrostatic discharge occurs during said storm - the vernacular is lightning, and it can be both very destructive and very dangerous.

Generally speaking you can judge the distance to the storm by counting the seconds between the flash  of lightning and the crack of the thunder.  The shorter the time, the closer the lightning strike.

Ground Zero, or being very close to the strike, means that the flash of light and crack of thunder occur almost simultaneously.  This is what happened last week here at the ranch.

Sandy was in the back of the house when a storm rolled through.  I was in front of the boob tube.  Boom.  Ground Zero.  Sandy comes out and exclaims, "That was really close!"

Forward ahead to Saturday morning.  I'm playing the Mulberry Men's golf league tourney and happen to be put on BIL Andy's team.  He asks if we heard / saw the crash last week.  Sure 'nuf.  Andy says he heard the sizzle in the woods and is certain that something (most likely a tree) got struck.

Last night as I was mowing the pond, I had to jump off to remove a large branch.  Unusual location.  As I drug it back to the woods, this is what I saw....

Probably the tallest tree in the woods - as thus the reason it got struck by lightning.

Look how tall it is.

At this point, I have to agree with Andy.  Something did get struck by lightning in the woods.

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