Boy you're lucky John!

You get a great story and no scars; tough to lose your tree though.

Jake

On 6/16/06, Joy Hecht <jhecht@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>
> Geez!  I'm glad you're okay.  Talk about freak accidents.
>
>
>
> Joy
>
> ****************************************************************
> Joy Hecht
> and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon
>
> For musings about life and the vanadventures:
> http://www.joyhecht.net
>
> ****************************************************************
>
> :::-----Original Message-----
> :::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
> :::Of John Rodgers
> :::Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 1:01 PM
> :::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> :::Subject: [NVC] The Electric Potter
> :::
> :::Monday, June 12, 2006; 2:30 pm, Chelsea, AL
> :::
> :::*The Main Event:*
> :::
> :::I worked in my pottery studio today, fulfilling an order of communion
> :::ware for the national Presbytery Conference happening here. Usual
> story,
> :::seated on my throwing stool, potters wheel was wet, hands were wet and
> :::on the wheel, some water on the floor, left foot on the wet spot. Being
> :::engrossed in my work, I did not really notice nor pay attention to the
> :::thunderstorm that had brewed up. Seated well back from the open barn
> :::door - probably 15 feet or so - I just kept on working.
> :::
> :::Suddenly there was a tremendous thunderclap, and a large blue streak of
> :::electricity zig-zagged across the floor from the door to where my foot
> :::was in the puddle. There was a burst of blinding blue-white light as
> the
> :::electrical energy of the lightening entered my foot and traveled up my
> :::body through my left leg and trunk, out my arms and to the wheel and to
> :::a ground. In a split second I was slammed against the wall four feet
> :::behind the potter's wheel. I slid to the floor, stunned, unable to
> move,
> :::talk, or open my eyes.
> :::
> :::Others in the shop with me called 911 and the Chelsea Fire Department
> :::Paramedics came to the rescue. They checked me out on the spot. I
> slowly
> :::came around, but as a precaution an ambulance arrived which transported
> :::me to the Birmingham VA Hospital Emergency Room for a more thorough
> :::checkup. After several hours I was released and seem to have had no ill
> :::effects but I go for a follow up checkup in a week.
> :::
> :::*The rest of the story:*
> :::
> :::When I returned home, I found in ruins beside my shop my favorite tree
> :::in the yard..a big towering red oak tree that had stood for many years
> :::and is a main food tree for the squirrels in the area. Lightening had
> :::struck the tree and it had exploded ... splitting major limbs, and
> :::blasting chunks of bark, wood, leaves, and twigs out in a forty foot
> :::radius from the tree. Long 4 inch wide strips of bark were peeled
> :::vertically from the limbs and trunk as the electrical energy traveled
> :::the tree trunk.
> :::
> :::Unknown to me at the time, three others in my studio had also received
> a
> :::jolt, but not nearly so bad, since they were standing on dry concrete
> :::and had on rubber bottom tennis shoes. But it was enough of a jolt to
> :::make them quite animated for a few moments.
> :::
> :::We were all very lucky, especially me.
> :::
> :::In the future, during a lightening storm, I will work on no machines
> and
> :::have no damp feet. I am going to retire to a quiet place in the middle
> :::of the house, sit on a wood chair on a wooden floor, wear my tennis
> :::shoes and read a book!!!!
> :::
> :::Regards,
> :::
> :::John Rodgers
> :::Chelsea, AL
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com