Struck By Lightning

You might not notice this unless you are always looking up in the trees.

 A bit of zoom and you can really see it.  Pecan is an odd tree with lightning.  If the bark is wet with rain, lightning zips down the outside and just pops off the outer bark without injuring the tree.

This lightning bolt also popped off a gray squirrel; poor thing.  God Caught Him Before He Fell.

Sometimes you will be caught in a thunderstorm while you are out in the woods.  Beat feet back to your truck, and avoid passing close to trees.  When lightning comes down on a tree it may bounce around anywhere around the base, so keep some space for safety.  We were caught in a heavy downpour while canoeing in Missouri on the Eleven Point River.  We put in on the left bank, just a short distance from a big bur oak.  The adults kept the kids from gathering under the tree, and we stood in a loose group as the clouds dumped on us.  A big lightning bolt smacked a sycamore directly across the river from us; it was a bit like being shot at and missed.  The kids needed no more convincing to stay away from the bur oak.