A thunder-shower in the night.

July 20.

A thunder-shower in the night. 

The clap that wakes me is as if some one is moving lumber in an upper apartment, some vast hollow hall, tumbling it down and dragging it over the floor; and ever and anon the lightning fills the damp air with light.

Annursnack. 

The undersides of the leaves, exposed by the breeze, give a light bluish tinge to the woods as I look down on them.

Looking at the woods west of this hill, there is a grateful dark shade under their eastern sides, where they meet the meadows, their cool night side, — a triangular segment of night, to which the sun has set.

The mountains look like waves on a blue ocean tossed up by a stiff gale. 

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, July 20, 1851 

The clap that wakes me is as if some one is moving lumber in an upper apartment. See July 20, 1854 ("A muttering thunder-cloud in northwest gradually rising and with its advanced guard hiding in the sun and now and then darting forked lightning.") See also  June 17, 1852 ("The thunder sounds like moving a pile of boards in the attic."); May 29, 1857 ("The crashing thunder sounds like the overhauling of lumber on heaven's loft.")

The undersides of the leaves, exposed by the breeze, give a light bluish tinge to the woods.  See July 21, 1851 ("A quarter of a mile is distance enough to make the atmosphere look blue now . . . The meadow-grass reflecting the light has a bluish cast also . . . The air grows more and more blue, making pretty effects when one wood is seen from another through a little interval") Compare  February 7, 1856 ("During the rain the air is thick, the distant woods bluish, and the single trees on the hill, under the dull mist-covered sky, remarkably distinct and black"); June 9, 1852 ("The lighter under side of the new leaves are exposed. This is the first half of June."); June 14, 1852 ("There are various new reflections now of the light, viz. from the under sides of leaves (fresh and white) turned up by the wind, and also from the bent blades (horizontal tops) of rank grass in the meadows, — a sort of bluish sheeny light, this last."); June 26, 1854 ("The peculiar agreeable dark shade of June, a clear air, and bluish light on the grass and bright silvery light reflected from fresh green leaves."); July 23, 1860 ("One of the most noticeable phenomena of this green-leaf season is the conspicuous reflection of light in clear breezy days from the silvery under sides of some leaves . . .There is a great deal of life in this landscape. What an airing the leaves get!")

Looking at the woods west of this hill, there is a grateful dark shade. See July 26,1854 ("The dark smooth Assabet, reflecting the now dark shadows of the woods . . . a dog-day density of shade reflected darkly in the water.")

The mountains look like

waves on a blue ocean tossed

up by a stiff gale.

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, A thunder-shower in the night.

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau

"A book, each page written in its own season,

out-of-doors, in its own locality."

~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2024