I've had a couple like that.
Years ago, I and a group of friends were camping up in the hills west of Boulder, Co. The camp site was down in a deep valley, not far off the paved road. Come nightfall, a major storm rolled through from the west. We are all standing around the camp fire in the rain, passing around a bottle of Mad Dog 20/20 and having a great time. The lightening is about a mile away by ear, so we are not too worried (young males, full of vim & vinegar and EtOH, you figure it out). Suddenly the WHOLE FREAKING CANYON is illuminated by a bright flash of light and a God-awfull BOOM!!
"Wow, that was close!"
"Ya think?"
"FRELL ME DEAD! LETS GO CHECK IT OUT!" <== not my actual verbage mind you, cleaned up a tad
"Shut the heck up 'Sin', I don't wanna be electricuted."
Next morning, we wander back up the canyon toward the car and find that about 100 yards up the trail a nice, tall Lodgepole pine had been hit, and the strike had blown the bark off the tree in a spiral pattern from the top to the base. It was only the wet conditions that had prevented the tree from burning. One can still see the scorch marks on the tree close to 20 years later.
- years pass -
About four or five years ago, one of those same friends and I are camped down at the south end of South Park, up near the continental divide. A few grey clouds and lots of blue sky. We are getting ready to play some cards after spending the afternoon plinking old cans with my FAL and the buddies .30-.30 Winchester when there is a bright flash of light and the BOOM of a strike, seperated by about one second.
"Frell dude, did you see that?"
"Yep. Maybe we should play cards in the truck"
"Good idea. And lets not forget to put some libations on the cook fire for Thor and his traveling companions tonight."
