Many years ago, I bought a sizable parcel of land adjacent to a small mountain chain. It has a gorgeous view of the entire range and my land abuts the state park which flanks one end of the chain; literally giving me an 8,800 acre front yard! A few years back, I decided my little weekend cabin wasn't enough, so I decided to build a log home and move there permanently. As I said, the view is worth a million dollars, but I'm at the end of the range, so the weather can sometimes sweep violent thunderstorms right up the valley and over the small ridge I built upon. During the summer this can be a frequent and somewhat annoying occurrence, as warm, moist air is pulled down from the Blue Ridge Mountains and funneled in my direction. It's great for the garden though!
These storms can pop up in only a few minutes, and the temperature can drop by as much as twenty degrees, catching hikers in the nearby park off guard - or as in the case of this story - a new neighbor who was quite unfamiliar with our summer afternoons here in this part of Appalachia. One particular afternoon in early August, I sat on my front porch overlooking the valley and mountains, watching one of these storms build about fifteen miles away. Within ten minutes the sun had disappeared, the sky grew dark and faint rumbles of thunder could be heard in the distance. Soon, the wind began to pick up as the cold downdrafts from the impending storm reached me. I could actually feel the temperature drop as the cold front passed over the ridge, and the winds increased.
The rumbles of thunder drew closer, and the leaves on the hardwoods turned over in the strong gusts. I could see the silvery wall of rain about three miles away, moving steadily toward me across the river valley. The sound of the wind increased as well, and I was surprised to hear what sounded like a faint cry for help over the din. I listened carefully, and after ten seconds or so, it repeated.
"Heeeeelp!" came the sound of a frightened female voice.
It was coming from the lowlands down by the creek behind the house, so it wasn't a lost hiker from the state park. I went to the back door, which is actually on the side of the house, and picked up my brass whistle. I have my cats trained to come to the house for food when I give two blasts, so I keep it on the shelf right by the door.
I stepped outside and gave a long, sharp staccato-like blast on the whistle and listened for a response. It was almost instant.
"Help me, please! I'm lost!"
I gave three loud blasts on the whistle and headed down the ridge toward the saddle that overlooked the areas I called the Bowl, and the Beaver Meadow, blowing the whistle every ten seconds or so, so whoever it was could follow the sound and meet me. Suddenly, I felt the first few drops of rain; large drops that fell hard and heavy. Within ten seconds, it was on top of me. The trees were swaying in the wind and the thunder was getting very loud as I turned off the saddle and headed down the path through towering tulip poplars.
"I see you!" I heard the woman shout.
I could see her making her way uphill toward me, so I stuck the whistle in my pocket.
"Come on!" I urged, as she reached me.
I took her hand and half-led, half-dragged her up the hill behind me.
"This thing is just about on top of us!" I called out over the roaring wind. "Go as fast as you can!"
With that, I felt a familiar - yet very terrifying - sensation. The hair on not only my head stood up, but all over my entire body.
"Crouch down!" I bellowed over the roaring wind. "Balance on the balls of your feet and cover your head!"
No sooner had I said that, when a deafening blast ripped through the forest. A brilliant lavender-purple bolt of lightning struck one of the tulips about one hundred feet away, sending chunks of bark like shards of wooden shrapnel in our direction, striking us painfully, but not seriously. Fortunately, we were far enough away from the blast, that the current didn't reach us through the ground.
"Let's go!" I shouted. "We don't have long before the next bolt strikes!"
We ran as fast as we could up the hill and onto the open ridge, and made a beeline for the house. By the time we got to the back door, the wind was gusting around 45 mph, the rain was blowing almost horizontally, and we were being pelted with pea sized hailstones. I led her through the back door and into the mud room area where I had the washer and dryer, and shut the sturdy door behind us, just as another powerful clap of thunder struck nearby.
"We j-just made it!" I said through chattering teeth.
Between the wind, rain and drop in temperature, we were soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone.
"Y-y-yessss!" she replied, her teeth chattering even louder than mine.
"Empty your pockets, get your clothes off and throw them in the dryer." I instructed, as I headed for the bathroom that was just past the washer and dryer. "I'll get the water running."
I turned the shower on and set the knobs to a comfortable temperature and rejoined her by the appliances. She already had her pockets emptied and she was taking off her blouse. I quickly removed my keys and wallet, and began undressing as well. I tossed our clothes into the dryer, turned it on and motioned for her to follow me.
"Go ahead and get in." I instructed. "I'm right behind you."
I followed her into the shower and let the hot water cascade over our bodies for a few minutes. We gradually warmed up, and I finally turned to face her.
"What were you doing out there?" I inquired. "And why were you on my property?"
"I didn't mean to trespass." she apologized. "I went for a walk and got a little turned around. Once it got dark and the thunder started, I guess I panicked. I started running, and when it started raining, I started calling for help. Thank goodness you heard me!"
"Lucky for you, I like to sit on the front porch and watch the thunderstorms." I responded. "I heard you calling. Had I been in the house, I'd have never heard you. These log walls are eight inches thick. Even the thunder is muted in here."
"I saw you have a log house." she replied. "I couldn't see much because I was trying to get out of the rain, but I'm sure it's beautiful."
"I'd like to think so." I replied with a chuckle. "But that's most likely because I cut the trees down myself on this property, peeled them, dried them and then stacked them all myself. This literally is the house that Jack built."
"Your name is Jack?" she inquired.
"Yes." I answered.
"My name is Nancy." she responded.
"Well Nancy, it's nice to meet you. Very few people actually meet in the shower you know."
She smiled in reply.
"There's a joke in there somewhere." she retorted. "Probably have something to do with the YMCA or something."
I smiled and took a really good look at her. She had long, blonde hair with green eyes, and she was probably 5'5" or so, and very attractive. Her body was also nothing to sneeze at, and I guessed her for somewhere around 35 or so years of age. She saw me looking and took her turn as well, to size me up.
"I think we both like what we see." she said softly. "Leave it to me, to find my Prince Charming while being lost in the woods. That is, if you're single." she added quickly.
"I am." I said with a smile. "I'm sure my wife would have something to say about us being in the shower together if I were married."
"Girlfriend?"
"Nope. You?"
"No girlfriend." she answered lightly. "No boyfriend either. Didn't plan on meeting one out here either."
"I've not seen you before." I observed. "Where do you live?"
