  Ball lightning is a very rarely observed phenomenon that makes it extremely
difficult to characterize scientifically. Eye-witness accounts of ball
lightning that describe many features in common have been variously recorded
for centuries. This note is an account of my observation of ball lightning
almost five decades ago. Although it is mostly a compendium of recalled
impressions (no photos or videos), it so happens that certain corroborating
information has since become available on the Internet and supports the
conclusion that I did indeed observe ball lightning. This note also helps to
explain why obtaining hard evidence is even more difficult than is generally
assumed. Paradoxically, the inordinate delay between the original observation
and this documentation may actually have enhanced its scientific merit.
