Crash and boom

I nearly died this week.

We've been waiting for rain. The weather network has misled me time and time again this week. No real rain has come. My rain barrel is empty.
So on day three of rain warnings, I took the dog to the beach.

It was a low and foggy morning. My hair was in ringlets from the humidity but it still wouldn't rain.

I felt like I was walking in a cloud. The fog was so thick, I couldn't see 50 metres ahead. The dog was happy to run like a fool and kept nearish... I had a lot of treats in my pocket.

There are still so many midges down at the beach, and since there wasn't a tonne of wind that morning they hung in columns... and since it was foggy, I kept walking into them... so gross.

We walked to the west end of the beach and then headed down to the east point, our usual routine. We passed an eager couple. .. they looked like little kids, gleefully heading into the mist. I felt as bubbly and happy as they looked.... seriously, it's not often you get to walk on the inside of a cloud.

And then I felt them.
The freakin midges.
In my hair.

I started to lose my mind wiping at my hair. My scalp was crawling with the stupid little bugs. I don't know how many of them I've inhaled this year, and they were trying to get back at me for the death of their cousins. No matter what I did though, I couldn't stop them. They were everywhere. Crawling.  In my hair.

But.
I couldn't actually find any of them. I mean, my scalp was crawling with them, lifting my hair, but my hands weren't finding them no matter how I picked at them.

I got all tech and pulled out my phone, desperate to find and rid myself of the squirmy feeling. I turned my camera to selfie mode and aimed at my scalp.... there were no bugs! I was so confused. I looked closer. No bugs anywhere!
I'd been swatting at my head for the past minute for nothing! 

As I pulled the camera away... that's when I noticed it.
My hair, all the crazy short pieces and wispy ends, was standing on end.
I lowered my hand holding the phone slowly and placed it in my pocket... and suddenly...

KABOOM!

The loudest and closest thunder that I've heard in a long long time.