Intoxicating Summer Rain

This week I was thankful for the heavens opening and rain falling on the parched and dried up Southeast. On Monday, after dropping DH at the airport early AM for a business trip to New York, I came home. Rain started falling, heavily - like a grey curtain - covering the dying grass, drooping shrubs, thirsty plants.

The hydrangeas have already faded from blue to dusty pink and grayish green and are well on their way to drying out for Winter display in the house. Their still thick and lush leaves sparkled with raindrops.

I moved some potted plants to the front steps for a bath. Nobody was looking so I stood there with my tongue out to catch a raindrop. It felt cool, clean, and of course wet. I held my arms out, darkened a little by the intense rays of the Southern sun, and felt the rain splatter on my warm skin. The feeling took my breath away.

I'm from a cool country. A land rained on constantly.
For gosh sakes, I grew up in much maligned black rubber Wellington boots........galoshes designed to prevent webbed feet I'm sure. School uniform included a navy blue belted gabardine 'mac' which got a lot of use between September and July. I sloshed through ankle deep water, red clay mud. I puddle jumped. I sang in the rain. I picked mushrooms in the fields early morning in the rain.................before the cows trampled them. I sat on the beach in the rain on a Summer day. I walked the damp firm sand, chasing the seagulls when the tide went out and the rain drizzled endlessly.

This week, following the rain, at a nearby pond the Canada geese with their now almost grown Spring babies were enjoying the fresh water. The one above we've named Bumpy. She is gentle and has fed from Jasmin's hand......which I why we say 'she'.

The heavy rain lasted just an hour or so before it changed to light intermittent showers. Long enough to rinse off the back fence making the now grayish wood grain appear etched by years of weather. The rusting bird boxes, homes to Chickadees, had shiny copper roofs again.

Later the sun appeared through the clouds.
The yellow daylilies were refreshed and soon glowing from their long awaited bath.

I realize now that I love the rain.

I would like to sleep under a tin roof in a heavy pouring rain.

I will plan to puddle jump again, while I still can.

'Wellies' come in colors and patterns now and are 'in style'.

Edited - 8:00 AM

Seems comments can't be left this morning for some reason. Thanks for stopping by though - perhaps this will be fixed later - I'll check back.

12:05 AM 7/18/09

Well it's working now thank goodness. Missed you.