Big, glorious southern thunderstorms......

The first thing you notice is the sky darkening -- turning so black the street lights come on mid-day. It's not long before you hear rumblings in the distant sky. Things move quickly then. The thunder nears until it's so loud the room shakes and the windows rattle. The lightning strikes so close the hair on your arms prickle. Then the rain comes -- sheets of rain so thick you can't see through it. ....Then the air conditioning actually cuts off! (For a couple of minutes anyway.)

Yes ma'am, our southern thunder storms can be a thing to savor -- IF you're home (and not in a car on a flooded out street), IF you can crawl in bed and nap, IF you have a good book and a good cup of tea to cuddle up with (assuming power's not knocked out). Yep! If things line up just right, there's not much to compare with a good old-fashioned thunder boomer.

Then....when it's over, everything looks so green and fresh outside. And when you walk out to look -- it feels like a damp wool blanket has been thrown over you. Steam rises from the streets. It hasn't cooled off, just gotten even more humid. Is that possible?