The Florida Keys

Taken by Lee Smith

I drove down with a friend on a Friday afternoon to photograph the Bahia Honda Park area. It was sunny when we left Broward County and knew there could be a front passing our way. As we arrived at Bahia Honda Park – the clouds were gathering. The State Official that greeted us at the gate possessed a good deal of wit and made us smile as we entered the park. We quickly parked and began a short walk to the beach. We managed to take about 30 minutes of photos when the echos of thunder on the horizon started. We were taken photos watching the lightning off in the distance then decided it was best to leave. The clouds were getting grayer as each moment passed. We got to the car and packed our gear just in time. As we left the park to head to the hotel, the rain began to fall. After a few minutes, the rain came down so massively, my wipers could not keep up. I had to slow to 5 mph to even attempt to see the center line as the day became night. Then the lightning started. The likes of which were so thick and forceful that the inside of the car glowed from the intensity as it stuck near by. It was about this time, I wanted just to pull over and wait this out. Fortunately, there was another driver behind me, so I pulled over to let them pass, so we could follow them. It was at that point my friend said to me, “If the lights of that car disappear, stop.” I asked why?, he said, “they probably drove off the road or fell off the bridge…. ” Needless to say – we made it across the bridges and back to the hotel.