Last Saturday I did all my house chores and errands so that on Sunday we could spend the afternoon boating on Casco Bay. Naturally the forecast was 30% chance of thunderstorms all day. We decided it was worth the chance and headed out around 1pm. We brought our rain jackets, and extra clothes just in case. We met up with friends and tied up to a mooring off Goose Island. It was gorgeous, like get your refreshing summer cocktail and kick your feet up gorgeous. Just what the doctor ordered. About an hour into our picture perfect day, we noticed the clouds looming on the horizon, black and foreboding. We checked the weather and radar and knew that it was coming straight for us. Our boat is small with literally no where to get out of the elements, and being in a boat that size during a thunderstorm scared me more than just a little. Our friends boat has a cabin, and since it looked like it would clear after the storm cell, we decided to close everything up, and wait it out.
Stormy Weather from Lola Fernet on Vimeo.
I put this video together of a few small clips I took while the storm was approaching and while it was beating down on us.
The storm was pretty crazy for the 35 minutes it lasted. The boys had to actively hold our boats from smashing into each other, and we had to keep a close eye on the shore to make sure we didn’t break free from the mooring. Once it cleared, it was an even more beautiful day. The water was close to 70, and we swam, and enjoyed the beautiful clouds and glassy water that were left in the storms wake.
Stormy Weather by Billie Holiday must be one of my favorite songs of all time. It is also no secret that I am a fan of extreme weather. This year we watched hurricane Sandy hit the shores of Maine in the middle of the night, and went to the beach during the Blizzard of 2013. While most are snuggled at home, we prefer to be out in it. I suspect this will never change. I must be the sheer force of mother nature that you witness in any type of storm. It is also fully humbling to witness that we have no control over mother nature. In a world, were we often need and want to be in control of everything…I am very grateful to be so humbled.
