Freak Hail Storm

I'd done two loads of washing this morning. I put it out on the washing-line in the garden with the hope that it would dry. I was hoping that there wouldn't be any rain and kept an eye on the sky as it began to cloud over. It had been out for a couple of hours and it seemed as if it would be alright for a couple more hours. But it wasn't to be. At around 1.15 it clouded over. I gave a further glance out of the window: no sign of rain. But then the heavens opened. I rushed out to retrieve the clothes which took up two lines which are strung up over the garden, from the house out to the shed (if you can actually term the clapped-out object at the end of the garden as a 'shed' which I doubt. I hastily grabbed fists-full of clothing and shoved it in the clothes basket, but the rains began to fall faster and faster. There was then a sudden very loud clap of thunder and it went extremely dark. Then I remembered that one of our dogs, Poppy, was scared witless of thunder and lightening. During the Guy Fawkes Night of November 5th she i terrified of fireworks and is happiest hiding under the bed or up close to one or other of us as the bangs and whooshes of fireworks are going on. So this afternoon. As I was rapidly pegging sopping wet clothes onto the clothes drier in the kitchen and over some of the downstairs radiators, she came up to me and wanted some support and comfort which was rather sad and as I write this she is sitting on the armchair with me typing on the Macbook. She had insisted on sitting on my knee but it would be difficult to write this with the laptop on her back so she is wedged in beside me. I think she is a good deal happier now. There is hail falling fast in the garden as I look out from the lounge and the grass is covered in white, some of the hailstones are around the size of peanuts. I'm just glad I'm not outside in it as these chunks of ice would really sting exposed skin