Summer Storm

As soon as the lightning calms down a bit, the boys and I go onto the back porch to watch the remainder of the storm. The raindrops are fat and coming down steadily. Every now and then, we are rewarded with a flash of lightning; we count one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi to calculate how far away it is.The hail is teeny-tiny; it looks like the rock salt used in large cities to melt ice. The sky is that odd shade of yellow-grey that summer storms in Carolina produce. The air smells clean and crisp, and I am struck by the sudden overwhelming urge to be hiking on Pilot Mountain.

The children and I will all sleep deeply tonight. The sound of the rain hitting the roof is our favorite

berceuse
noun
1. A lullaby.
2. A soothing musical composition, usually in 6/8 time.
[French, feminine of berceur, cradle rocker, from bercer, to rock, from Vulgar Latin *bertiāre.]
"berceuse." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 24 Jun. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/berceuse