While most folks will tell you that they know this because they have been watching their local weather man, if I had listened to my local weather man I would have expected the storm at about 3pm this afternoon, but no, it was still balmy and sunny at 3pm, and still at 6pm it was wonderful, at 7pm however Lucky, my cocker spaniel/black lab cross jumped up onto my lap and attempted to crawl up onto my head. "oh" I said to myself "there's a storm coming". Lucky hates storms, he takes them personally, as if they are actually out to get him and the best place to hide is with his head in my armpit, thinking, as he does that if he can't see it, it can't see him. So while Lucky was busily stuffing his head under my armpit the marble sized hail arrived, then the rolling thunder. If nothing else Lucky is a wonderful barometer, I know at least thirty minutes before it arrives that a storm is coming. Right now he has escaped to the bedroom (I let him in there) where he can hide in the closet until the storm passes. He never used to be like this, but one year he got heartworm (despite being on prevention) and had to go into the vets on an inpatient basis for chemo. While he was there in the vets, there was an horrific thunderstorm overnight and he has been terrified of them ever since, I think he associates thunderstorms with chemo so it is no wonder that he is terrified. Still, the pounding rain will at least wash away all the pine pollen which is playing damn havoc with my sinuses and my eyes at the moment. I woke up this morning and my eyes were glued shut, I hate it when that happens! Hopefully this storm will roll through pretty quick and there will not be too much damage. In the meantime you can reach Lucky in the bedroom closet.