Lightnin' Bugs and Thunder Storms

My favourite thing about the south so far (besides those delectible accents of course) are the summer thunderstorms. Every day between 2 and 5 you hear a distant rumble. The sound comes rapidly closer and brings with it a sweet and welcome rain. It breaks the up the midday heat and you can almost hear the earth sigh with relief (along with its many residents, many of whom come out of their houses with smiles on and lift their faces up to the sky). Apparently I "aint seen nothin'" compared to the thunder storms of the olden days, but what I have seen I love. Many days Dustin and I will go sit out on the porch in anticipation of the short and sweet summer rain. Sometimes we don't go back in until we are happily drenched in delicious moisture.
As evening approaches, out come the fireflies (or "lightning bugs" as the locals call them). These lovely glowing critters are sadly diminishing in these parts and are apparently a sad sight compared to days of yore when they lit up fields and forests at night. To me they are splendid. Sparse as they me be, they still light up the sky and I find comfort in them when I drift off to sleep at night.
These are some the small pleasures I find in southern living, here in these lovely old mountains.