We missed one day of our regular ravine walk on Saturday when thunderstorms rolled in one after the other incessantly.  It was heavily overcast and remained that way throughout the day, with the merest of brief intervals between one violent thunderstorm impacting after another.  That, following hard on a night of rolling thunderstorms of terrific ferocity.

When we entered the ravine yesterday for our walk the atmosphere still felt sodden, though it had turned very cool.  Cool enough that we needed light jackets to feel comfortable.  When we came across Max in his usual walk-about we weren't surprised, knowing him now long enough, to see him garbed as usual in his long-sleeved white shirt; suitable for him regardless of the weather, hot-humid or windy and cool, despite his slight frame.

He told us of having seen a television program that morning featuring a house in our neighbourhood that had been struck by lightning the night before.  A large, jagged hole punched into the roof.  These houses are supposed to be well grounded, but who knows?  There have been a number of surprises this summer, not the least of which was the collapse, a week earlier, of a portion of the 417 highway near us.  A large sinkhole had claimed a car, its driver managing to scramble out uninjured with the help of other drivers who had rushed to his assistance.

The car remains in the sinkhole as yet and the municipality has had to express-order a replacement for the huge old metal sewer pipe that had disintegrated leading to the washing away of dirt, sand and gravel under the highway to create that sinkhole.  Aging infrastructure and extreme weather conditions make for an exciting combination. 

For those who crave that kind of excitement.