There will come soft rains

After every four-day stretch of 95 degree heat with 95 percent humidity, there comes a violent storm. One thing I love about the Midwest is watching the thunderstorms. The air is thick and heavy and it's like breathing syrup. But just before the storm began, the temperature dropped 10 degrees and the air opened out -- it was like coming up from the bottom of a pool. Before the rain started pouring down tonight, the lightning played back and forth for 15 minutes in the clouds miles above. Immense and glorious.