The afternoon thunderstorm was violent. Lightning streaked across the sky, followed by deafening thunder. In the mountains, the thunder exploded, then echoed among the valleys. It was a most impressive display of power. I began watching it from the front porch and switched to the back as it moved slowly in a northeasterly direction. The heavy rain overloaded all the gutters, adding sizzle to the audio mix. When it was over, the bird baths and the waterfall pools were full to the brim.

At 3:30 a.m. I woke up and saw the sky lighting up time after time. Because I heard no sounds, I got up and went to the glass door to watch. I presumed it was lightning and not a transformer sparking through the night. While walking the next day, I asked neighbors Joyce and Julie if they heard thunder. Oh, yes, they had heard the storm, and that’s when I realized my hearing aids slept through it in their charger.