Saturday, April 02, 2005

Lightning before my very eyes!

I was on the 28th floor of a local building today, delivering flowers for a wedding reception, when lightning flashed right in front of my eyes! It appeared to be about 100 feet away, and I am sure that was an illusion, but it sure looked too close for comfort at the time. Quite an unnerving way to work, I assure you! One time before, I had a wedding in the same location, and the bride told me that thunder and lightning were so bad during her ceremony that they couldn't hear the minister. A microphone was brought out and they resumed the ceremony. Kinda' makes you wonder if it was meant to happen at all, doesn't it?

One wouldn't think that being a florist would put you in these types of situations, but it can be exciting in a sort of scary way sometimes. The worst hurricane to hit our area came through on a Thursday. I had a wedding on the Sat. after that, and no one knew what to expect of the site for the ceremony and reception. It was an historic home, and the ceremony was to be outdoors and the reception in a tent.

On the day after the storm, with no electricity in my shop, I had to work like a fool to get all the flowers done during daylight hours. Luckily, I got them finished. On Saturday, I headed to the site, not knowing if I could even reach it, due to all the trees downed around here. It was dicey, but I finally got there. Everyone connected with the wedding had done all they could and more to see that it went off without a hitch. The site was littered with downed tree limbs and branches, but everyone pitched in to help clear the grounds. The tent crew came late and worked fast, the caterers had to change the menu to things that could be cooked over a gas grill and drinks had to be iced in coolers. But in the end, the grounds were beautiful, the flowers were great, the food was excellent and the bride and groom were happy and above all, grateful for our efforts. And that is what makes it all worthwhile, lightning or no lightning.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Came from Michele's site.

I read your post with some sense of understand, though I readily admit, not first hand, of what it must have been like. The lady across from us is "The Cake Lady."

That's what we've dubbed her at any rate. She makes beautiful cakes and delivers them for weddings. I was picturing how she'd have fared in just such a moment and was cracking up. Cakes are not as forgiving as flowers.

I'm glad it turned out to be a wonderful day, for the bride and groom but apparently for all.

OldHorsetailSnake said...

Kinda reminds me of an old poem:

"Roses are dead,
"Violence are blue..."

I fear for the Tar Heels Monday night. But we shall see...

Anonymous said...

So much weird weather lately. We are actually having a snow storm! Just stopped by to say hello... via Michele's

:)

-E said...

I, too, have been sent by Michele. Sounds like flowers can get you in a mess of a situation when you least expect it to.

Anonymous said...

Came from Michele!
Enjoyed reading!
-H

Patsy Terrell said...

I love seeing into someone else's life - even ever so briefly. It is interesting how our jobs put us in situations we would never expect. I used to be a journalist and that's one of the things I loved - popping into someone's life for a few hours - and seeing the world through their eyes.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kenju Judy - Michelle sent me. We also had lightening here on the Pacific Coast of Northern California; a very odd ocurrence but glorious with the lightening flash making a tower from the ocean into the clouds.