Now, some of you may know the expression "the calm before the storm" - this expresses the moment of time where people go quiet before exploding with rage. (it originally comes from hurricanes, where there is a quiet spell in the middle before the storm hits)

But this evening is definately "the quiet after the storm" - we have had a big thunderstorm this evening, a long overdue one. I love thunderstorms - it's like you can feel the energy of the heavens raining down onto you. However, I think the thing I like the best about thunderstorms is when it's finally peaceful again. You have the faint pitter-patter of the last bits of rain falling from the sky, and a hole in the clouds appears to let some sun come in. It feels like the end of a symphony; a sense of peacefulness and "starting" something new.

The obvious sign of the end of a thunderstorm here is always the birds - the second the thunder stops they all come out from the trees and start chirping and singing! They're letting us know that everything is fine outside. I went out to take a quick picture to add to the blog and I got hit by a most fantastic smell - the smell of fresh rain on the leaves and trees outside.

In British folklore, the end of a thunderstorm usually symbolises the start of something new, or "a cleaning of the slate" and starting over again. The fresh smell, the sunshine coming out, the birds singing . . . it certainly feels like that here. For us, the thunderstorm came just in time for the start of the weekend!