Can anyone explain this?

[Cliffy777]

Me and Julie Claire were pooped out Saturday night and sitting in the living room. There was a pretty good rain storm going on with lots of lightning.
Then a wierd thing happened. There was a fairly loug POP and a very bright flash of light in the kitchen. Both of us saw it and jumped in our seats. Julie describes what she saw as a "ball of sparks in the air." It reminded her of when Tinkerbell would do her thing with her magic wand before Disney TV.
There was lightning going on all around us at the time. There was no damage or sign of a strike to the house. No outlets or light fixtures were smoking or damaged - there wasn't even any circuit breakers that had been tripped. There was no smell either - not the "ozone" or a burnt smell - nothing.
What think you oh scientific types? Any clues as to what is was?

[RT DOG]

Cliff sounds like you expieranced a phenonmen (sp?) called, ball lightening, check out this site and I sure you find a lot more infornation on this. Congrat you have just seen an unusaul occurrance.

[bmw_rider]

Sometimes also called: St Elmo's fire.

[username]

[in the voice of a southern preacher]

that was the lawd! he has come to you - can i get a hallelujah? - and identifed YOU! yea-yus! and YOU... have been CHOSEN... by the LAWD to be the archduke of the rowndahs! yea-yus! can i get an amen? and the ROWNDAHS - yea-yus - will ride year ROUND and will publish their results ELECTRONICALLY! YEA-YUS!

[in my normal voice]

that's all it meant. you are fulfilling your destiny as the leader of the rounders is all.

that or your house is freakin haunted ghostbusters-style. (check for ectoplasmic residue.)

:D

but yeah, i guess ball lightning is a good guess. (ball lightening would be an entirely different saturday night activity. woooo!)

[Cliffy777]

RT Dog - thanks for the info. What sight am I supposed to check out? Where in W Michigan do you hang out? (I will google ball lightening and see what I find.)

Upon further re-flection, I believe Brother Username could be on to something. I felt a burning in my bosum and ever since that night I have had a strange desire to ride me Rocksta during inclimate weather.........Brothers and Sistern, send your check today!

[mcholt212]

If that happened in my house it would just mean the cat gnawed his way thru the toaster cord and now I have one less litter box to clean!:lol

[BradfordBenn]

You are not supposed to put metal in the microwave. Cause I is guessing you were making some poppy corn and you put the jiffypop type stuff you could make on the stove in the microwave.:D :snore

[Usedtopilot]

Fantastic sense of humor, username!! Being a Southern gal, I can easily envision those "preacher" comments from a pulpit around here.... these guys always have a "Biblical" (translated --their own) interpretation of everything.... even if there is a logical, scientific explanation for the same.

[RT DOG]

Sorry Cliffy that wasn't the best site I sent you but a google search will give you better info. Actually I live in the Sand Lake area. And sense I got my RT there is no telling where I might find myself hanging out :bliss

[Gnome]

Ball lightning,yes thats what it was,and yes,congratulations, for it is rare to see.
I for one have seen it here in Tennessee. Once while in a storm I saw a ball of what looked to be flame shooting down this country road. It looked like Luke Skywalker had shot it from the x-wing fighter! Very rare , very cool,and down right freakin spooky!

[Cliffy777]

From now on we will tell people we witnessed Ball Lightning in our kitchen. Thanks for all the help (Username - you might want to GET some help!).
One of the best aspects of having this happen was that neither one of us was scared. The flash did startle us, but we felt kind of privledged to see such a wonder. Julie saw more of the "ball" per se than I did, but it lit up the kitchen. Everyone should have such a deal!

[username]

Originally posted by Cliffy777
Everyone should have such a deal!

cliffy, im shocked by your comments.

for anyone interested in having non-standard electrical events in their own home, they need look no further than here. (http://www.amasci.com/emotor/vdg.html)

you can build a van de graff generator, and while you won't get the same phenomenon as cliffy, you'll still have lighting bolts shooting around the room. be sure to bone up on the benefits of faraday cages while youre at it. ;) having a pet bird in a cage, and zapping it with lighting bolts really scares the crap out of kids. my dad used to do this to us, and it really has a lasting impression.

as evidence of my juvenile sense of humor, im still snickering and snorting over the 'ball lightening' comment.