The weather forecast called for scattered thundershowers, but no one seemed prepared for the storm that ensued this afternoon. Gale force winds. Lightning. Heavy downpour of rain. Hail. A few kayak paddlers and a hiker took refuge in the lighthouse and waited out the storm in the parlor. I hurried around the lighthouse closing windows to keep out the rain. Nevertheless, the fierce wind forced rain through the gaps in the window frames. Before I got to the upstairs west bedroom, the wall opposite the windows was wet with rain blown through the screens. By time I grabbed towels to mop up the water from windowsills, the storm was over. Brief as it was, the storm was powerful enough to topple trees and knock out the electricity. I noticed large branches floating in the creek. After the storm cleared, I hiked the trail with the chainsaw and cleared a couple of downed trees which completely blocked the path. Even before I started cutting into the tangle of obstructing branches, a family walked up wanting to get to the lighthouse. “Did you have a storm here?” they wondered.