The rain rain rain

"It was a glorious storm."
"First-rate, for those that like them and don't have to put up with those who don't." -Gaudy Night

Yesterday we did have a glorious storm, a regular gullywasher. It started looking ominous round about lunch, while Becca and I amused ourselves with her poetry homework, and by two, two-thirty it was dusk-dark and grumbling. Then the rain rain rain came down down down, and the grumbles turned to a positive temper tantrum, and a draggled patient reported seeing lots of sparks when a particularly exuberant strike struck a transformer across the street. Our power stayed on, rather to my surprise, but the internet died.

I stood in the doorway and watched it fall. It made waterfalls over the eaves and filled the gravel catch-ditches and flooded the sidewalk.

I'm fond of rain, especially when I don't have to be out in it. We had a nice hike the other day, Dad and I did. It hadn't rained for about two weeks and the air was full of that nasty haze that we get around here when it's been too dry. So we hiked down the Falls Trail and a lady coming back told us the falls were dry. I didn't believe her because Frijoles Creek is never dry. Tourists, honestly, but how could even a tourist miss the waterfall? But we got there, and sure enough, no falls.

Then the clouds came up, and we...were out in it. It was, in fact, really wet. Just about the time it'd stop and I'd start to think I might be getting dry, it would rain again. I have lots of pictures. But coming back, there was water at the Upper Falls, so the rain was worth it. I love rain, I really do, but it's much nicer to stand under cover and watch it. :-)

This morning was full of after-rain-ness. The dew covered Olwen. (I refer to my car, of course, but just saying it sounds like something from a fairy tale, or maybe The Destruction of Sennacherib.) All the bushes and wildflowers gazed soggily at the highway, shaking their leaves and enjoying the day. Sunflowers are out: the sunflowers are in full force in every ditch and along every road: I love sunflowers. And the light has that cool, pale, bright fall feel to it.

I wore a jacket to work this morning, for the first time this season.