Here's Thunderboomer!

We finally had a thunderstorm tonight, after nearly three days of not having the rain which had been predicted.  Naturally, I sat on the porch with a book to enjoy it.  (More correctly, I was already enjoying a book on the porch when the storm passed over.)

At one point, I saw lightning flash ahead of me, so I started counting how far away it was.  I got to five seconds when I heard a rumble begin behind me.  "That's interesting," I thought, "how the lightning was in front and the thunder..."  BANG!  That's the only way I can describe the loudest crackle I've ever heard.  And then a car alarm went off.  I wonder how far from the lightning the car was, that I was close enough to hear the alarm set off by the thunder.  I wonder if it's a survival mechanism that all of my internal organs seemed to shrink away from my rib cage.

Then I marvelled at how long the thunder lasted.  There was five seconds between seeing lightning and hearing the start of the thunder.  There was twenty seconds I heard thunder -- four times as long.  (I counted a later one, since the loud one had distracted me by nearly scaring the snot out of me.)

For those of you who recognize the reference in the post's title, I pity (or honor) you for being approximately my age or older.  For those of you who don't, my memory strays back to this TV show.  Now before you look down on me for enjoying (let alone remembering) that show, please keep in mind that I was a child when it aired.  (And it's far better than Barney or much of the other tripe that networks consider "family viewing" nowadays.)

Do you like how I worked in the word "stray"?  :)  Wait.  Did I just use the word marvel and talk about lightning without referring to Captain Marvel?  Shazam!  How could a fanboy like me miss that opportunity?  Be right back; I must go flog myself with a wet noodle.