Rainless. The area of the country we live in has shriveled up like a raisin over the past months. In fact our backyard dried fruit crop is better this year than any in the last nearly 20 years.I realize that our drinking water comes from somewhat distant groundwater and snow pack from the Sierra Nevadas, but I feel the need for rain here as well. We really need rain, if for no other reason than to wash away the dust and city grime that faithful, albeit annoying, neighborhood gardeners blow into an immese wave of nastiness that floats through our windows weekly and coats my shelves.
It is also rain that brings the scent of clean to the air. A scent so noticibly lacking of late that I could even smell the water when someone down the street turned on the hose in their garden. That is how dry it has been.
And then this morning it rained. Our poor little young cat was terrified by this strange water falling outside, something he has not really experienced before. But for my children it brought a sense of peace and calm. They spent the whole morning laying on my bed gazing through the large picture window, through the mass of grateful elderberries that mask our bedroom from the world. Ah, rain.
My kids are quiet today. Reading. Chatting and chuckling between themselves. Enjoying the soft sounds of water and the scent of clear air. This peace attracts all the animals to my bedroom, those seeking comfort and those who just enjoy togetherness.
It is quiet and peaceful and perfect…. except that it is full and now I have nowhere to sit.
Ah well, we are happy and that is all that matters.
