#7 - Enjoying a Thunderstorm

Weather on the Outer Banks is--let's face it--unpredictable.  Hot and sunny one minute, dark and stormy the next.  But those of us who call ourselves locals have learned to go with the flow, as far as our weather is concerned. One of my favorite long-standing local anectdotes about the weather goes something like this: "Don't like the weather on the Outer Banks?  Stick around for a few minutes... it'll change!"  So true. 

Summertime thunderstorms are a way of life here... typically they come in short bursts in the late afternoon.  For about ten minutes, the sky opens up and rain pours furiously.  And then after a few minutes, just like clockwork, the clouds lift and the sun dries it all up.  They're a Godsend, really... cooling everything down just in time for your evening bar-b-que!

I love summer afternoon thunderstorms.  What better time to curl up with a book on the deck, listening to the sound of rain patter away on the roof?  Afterwards I like to walk the beach... before anyone else gets there... to find whatever unusual shells, driftwood and beach glass that may have washed ashore.  So rather than think of it as a damper to your sunny day, I say enjoy the afternoon thunderstorm.  Take those minutes to relax and lose yourself in a book or simply the sound of the rain.  After all, you're on VACATION!