Where Lightning Strikes

Last night’s thunderstorms brought 524 “cloud-to-ground lightning” strikes throughout San Diego County for the “24 hours ending at 7 a.m. [PDT] today”, according to the National Weather Service. I saw evidence of one on Louisiana Street between Meade and Monroe, not far from where live Angelo and Huck—both of which were profiled in my “Cats of University Heights” series. According to the closest-living neighbor, the strike, which sent portion of a palm tree to blaze, occurred around 8 p.m. Not long later, fire crews extinguished the flames.

The Featured Image is the unbecoming first photo from iPhone 13 Pro, which arrived from Apple on Sept. 24, 2021. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 25, 1/2597 sec, 77mm; 10:24 a.m., today. Scaring and some charing is visible below the frond top. The device’s telephoto lens proved its worth.

The second photo, taken using Leica Q2, surveys the damage from the other side—looking towards Monroe. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/800 sec, 28mm; 10: 30 a.m.

The last pic, which is composed as shot, shows the lightning-strike survivor—tallest tree on the block—towering over Louisiana in the direction of Meade. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/8, ISO 100, 1/400 sec, 28mm; 10:33 a.m.