Lightning and a Fallen Tree

We were at friends doing Qi Gong when a thunder and lightning storm hit... and sounded very close. When we got home that October 19, the tallest of the three big trunks of our front drive Poplar tree was lying across the driveway. I surmised it had been struck by lightning. But Johnny thought it just chose that moment to fall down. He learned of three other trees in the neighborhood that had, apparently, been struck by lightning and came down. Poplars are very full of moisture so they don't necessarily burn when struck by lightning. The sap just superheats and explodes which is what it looked like to me happened. I guess we'll never know. Johnny spent all day Sunday cutting it off the driveway.

It fell across the driveway that runs in front of our house to the barn, across the fence between us and the neighbors. If it had fallen the other direction, it would have crushed our house. Johnny measured the downed portion at 100 feet.

The gap in the middle is where the tallest trunk was

On October 24, we drove to Pacific City with friend Mary for my mile walk on the Cape Kiwanda State Park beach for CoastWatch. The coast has had as lovely weather as we have had. Very strange for this time of year.

After lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, we went to the Nestucca Wildlife Refuge and climbed up to their lookout platform. Cape Kiwanda looks much smaller from up there!