Summertime in the US and Elsewhere

(Note: I have been listening to the recorded version songs of American Idol 2012 Season 11 runner up, sixteen-year old Jessica Sanchez on YouTube while I started writing this post. Honestly, it's not that easy, for me, to forget the AI 2012, Season 11, show, especially the Finale and those performances by Jessica and Phillip Phillips, their duet, and that amazing and powerful duet of Grammy-award winner Ms. Jennifer Holliday and Jessica Sanchez. It's so unbelievable how come Phillip bagged the AI 2012 trophy and not Jessica! It's quite mind-boggling, to me. Really. But then I have to tell or convince myself that AI is a popularity, even if it purports to be a singing, competition. I just have to admit, finally, that the two are both winners in their own ways. Both have different styles in singing, as I've mentioned in my past blog post. Both will be successful in their musical career, no doubt. God bless them and their supportive families.)

Well, folks, summer has arrived here in the U.S. of A. and elsewhere in North America and Europe. That's undeniably and undoubtedly, for sure! Plenty of sunshine, humidity, hot weather, that is. But it's also the time for (tropical) thunderstorms especially in the East Coast. That's right, folks.

Actually, as I'm writing this blog post (it's been a while that I've not done so, I've been on hiatus, though), a severe thunderstorm just visited or passed by Hampton Roads area, specifically in Suffolk. Momentarily, we're battered with strong wind, rain, intermittent hail, lightning, and thunder. A severe thunderstorm warning has been in effect for almost an hour now, this afternoon, and what can we do but watch the TV for further information and latest/breaking news for any damage, etc.

Thanks to God, there's the calm before the storm! After an hour, that is. Local TV stations continue to broadcast and cover the latest news about the thunderstorm. Now, I learned that in some areas of HR there was power outages. Thanks to God that we have power, in our area. Hopefully and prayerfully, those areas affected will have their power restored. (It's been difficult to imagine not having electricity/power, especially this summer season in which we rely on the comfort of our house with our AC (air conditioning) unit. Thanks to God, our AC unit was replaced, and operational, in time for the hot season.)

Now, here's a minor damage done by the storm in our abode: our swing set outside, by our wooden deck, in the backyard was blown away and so were our thrash bins. Our swing got disassembled; some parts were scattered around our deck. When the rain completely stopped, my wife and my daughter went out to our backyard and found out about it. (I didn't go out with them, though. I just stayed in our bedroom. Resting. )

With that sporadic strong wind and rain, I'm sure there are trees that fell down and lower areas  floodedsomewhere within HR. Our fruit trees, as I see them from our bedroom, luckily remain standing tall, with their fruits growing intact, although a number fell down on the ground. (Hopefully, we've got some left for us when they're ready for harvest, since there are bugs, creatures roaming around our backyard.)

Okay, folks, this is all for now. Thank you for your time. May God bless you all, as always! Until next time around. Take care and have a fun and safe summer, everyone!-chris a. quilpa, 25June2012.