A shocking evening

We don't often see thunderstorms in this area of the country. Something to do with the geography messing with weather patterns that normally form them. When we do get a storm, it generally consists of one or two flashes of lighting, a rumble of thunder, and everyone gasping at how wild it was. Last night was something of an anomaly, however, as we had a whole string of storms rolling along the foothills of the Cascades and up the Puget Sound corridor. These two pictures were of a cell that was located somewhere over the Kitsap Peninsula. I set up the nice digital SLR on a tripod out on the back deck, opened up the shutter and crossed my fingers. Among the hundred or so useless shots I managed to capture a few strikes.

Kitsap Peninsula (as viewed from Queen Anne, Seattle), Washington - July 12, 2007 (click images to enlarge)