It Rained! It Rained!

We heard news of a chance of rain, but had heard that before. It seemed as likely as Ed McMahon showing up with a pumper truck. The temperature dipped to 93F, quite the chill from the 106F an hour before. Could this be for real? I walked out the front door to look up at the sky. Sunset to the west, blue sky to the East, and a dark shadow approaching from the South....


That is when I felt it. One plump raindrop. A couple of polka-dots splashed the dusty sidewalk. I alerted the kids and they came out to sit on front porch steps with me. The old wood was almost too hot to sit on, but we were too excited to care.

Our beets, which had lain flat all day in the hot sun, lifted their leaves up and seemed to dance along with the zucchinis and carrots in the breeze. Even the potato plants, long exhausted in the heat, perked up a bit. One by one, big fat drops fell to the garden.

The boys had never smelled a long overdue rain before. You know, that blend of baked dust, hot pavement, and dry grass that takes on a freshness when moisture steams it up? As the rain began to fall harder, the new-rain scent was replaced by nothing. Nothing but clean as the old wooden porch, the front walk, the garden, the grass, and the street ahead were bathed in the downpour.

We sat on the porch for quite a while, just watching and enjoying. The boys laughed when their hair got wet and their toes were tickled by the sprinkles from above. "Thank you, Mr Cloud! Thank you for the Rain!" they shouted. They were hoping for some puddles to jump in before any serious thunder and lightning. Stealthy Dad came around the corner with Maple, our stripey monster, on a leash. He stayed with the boys, waiting for puddles, while my canine companion and I set off for our evening stroll.

Maple and I went up the street, getting only a little wet at first.  Clouds were forming to the West  now,  strands of orange and pink cotton candy swirling around as the sun disappeared. The reflection on the silvery dry grass of the lawns appeared to be sand dunes with patches of snow.  (Snow?) I looked back beyond the dark grey clouds above to see a wide band of bright azure dotted with white puffs. Big trees swayed as gusts of wind cooled their leaves.

Ka-RACK!!!! BOOOM! It was getting serious but we still took our time heading back. Caught in the frog-strangler, we weren't going to get any wetter and we were only a three blocks from the house. Passing motorists gave strange looks to the grinning wet lady and soggy dog. Upon our slow arrival we saw that Daddy had taken the boys back inside. Maple did not shake off her wet coat right away and and I let my drenched tshirt cool me a while before exchanging it for a dry one. Refreshing.

A strange buzz silenced our home and the cable and internet signals vanished for the night. We needed that, too.