I had planned on getting out early, but no sooner had I poured a cup of coffee and started assembling the camera gear than a dramatic flash of lightning lit up the very dark dawning sky, a huge clap of thunder promptly rattled the house, and the tentative mist turned to a monsoonal downpour. I rethought the trekking plan and, instead, grabbed my ancient and still waterproof Fuji XP55, the proper tool for photographing a storm. Were I true to my published charge, I would have walked into the monsoon, channeled the spirit of Jim Cantore, the Weather Channel's fearless foul-weather documentarian, and recorded the day's deluge. But the lightning was intense, the rain ridiculous, and I have to confess to getting old. I photographed the event from the cover of the back porch. For better or worse, I stayed dry.