Post Script: French Lightning

We noticed that the thunder was very loud during thunderstorms. It turns out it wasn’t thunder at all. I found out that when it rains in the valley here in Albertville that some of the grape farmers on the side of the mountains shoot off cannons into the thunderstorm. They do this because they think that the hot air from the cannon will go up into the clouds and warm them up and prevent hail. Hail destroys their vineyards. They make a lot of wine here in this region. Some people say that these guys are crazy and that they know it doesn’t work but just shoot the cannons off for tradition.