Happy Birthday to us....Zap! Sizzle!

For sixty two years Karan and I have shared a birthday week, but we haven't celebrated together more than once or twice in the last forty years.  Living a thousand miles apart and raising families kept us both busy and I believe it has been at least twenty since the last time.  But tonight we celebrated in a big way!

Mom, the guest of honor, and Bill and I arrived just in time.  We were persuaded to pose by the tourist trap and Bill took our picture to record the occasion.

 We hurried in though because there was a storm a brewin' 

Bill and Michael swapped sea stories as we dined in the open air deck off the marina

Real sea stories....Karan and Michael have just arrived home from a transatlantic cruise.

Overhead mermaids swam

adding to the watery atmosphere!  

Suddenly just as we finished our dinner the heavens just opened and it POURED rain!  

You couldn't see across the marina...it was like a white out! 

 We waited out the drenching rain by dodging stray drops that found their way through the palm thatch above.  We avoided the splash of the steady waterfall all along the overflowing gutter just to our right.   But Mom was prepared! 

Just as we were beginning to tire of all the rain....

CRACKLE, CRACKLE.....BOOM!  

We all screamed.  The room screamed!  

A huge bolt of lightening struck the water between the rail of the dining deck and the first boat docked at the marina!! 

I think it was the closest any of us had been to lightening!

I found a aerial photo online and drew a diagram.....

We were in the the area just underneath the top blue arrow and the lightening struck somewhere in the middle of the water between us and the boats.  Now that's close! 

Happy birthday to us!!  Zap!  Sizzle!