I awoke at 1:00 am. As I laid in bed, I listened, couldn't find any sound that was out of place, and realized I had a tiny bit of heartburn, so I got out of bed. I dressed, walked into the kitchen, took an antacid and walked out on the porch.
Outside, it was a typical Summer night in many ways. The temperature was in the upper seventies, the humidity was thick, a few night critters were busy with their cadence, and Scorpio was high toward the south. The difference was to the east.
A cumulus cloud towered toward the heavens. The top was spreading out with the the wispy cirrus, which were almost overhead. The lights of the nearby larger city lit the clouds; a dim, grayish tower reminding me of a black and white photo of the Pillars of Creation. I'd seen such things before. Nocturnal thunderstorms will signify the clash of the cooler air of the land between the warmer, moist air from the Gulf.
I thought I heard the low rumble of thunder; faint, almost imperceptible, and making me wonder if it was just the rumble of a large truck far away. I looked toward the cloud, didn't see any lightning, and was thinking my thought about a truck was correct.
My wife, who was now awake, came onto the porch with our dog. I told her I thought I heard a low rumble of thunder, but didn't see any lightning. She soon thought she saw a flash, while I was looking away. It took a long time, but I thought I heard thunder again. Then, I saw a flash in the top of the cloud, and counted to 40 seconds before the low rumble was heard. Soon another flash lit the top of the cloud. Thirty five seconds later a louder rumble arrived. My wife went back inside, and our dog only waited a little longer before he wanted me to let him in. He doesn't like thunder, and I imagine his more sensitive ears told him it was time to flee what he fears.
I went and checked the radar. It showed a single thunderstorm moving in our direction. I heard a few more rumbles of thunder. It wasn't long before the radar showed the rain right on top of my locations, so I went back to the porch to watch.
There was nothing left of the storm, except a thick deck of cirrus clouds overhead. To the east, pale stars could be seen. To the northwest, Canis Major was clear, and almost setting. Light rain fell, which made the entire event surreal.
If I had rolled over and went back to sleep, I would have missed the event. Such things are rare to observe, and I treasure seeing them. So, I'll stay up a little longer, look once again, and probably go back to bed, or not. I might stay up, wait until 4:00 am, and make a trip to town for donuts.