Let It Rain...

After enduring many months of winter's cold n snow, being awoken by the actual sound of rain on the roof was a welcome change. As the rain came down, I layed there for almost an hour... just listening.

I remembered once, when I was a kid, how I hid out in the perfect 'fort' during one of those sudden, summer rain bursts. Of course, I was riding my fast-as-the-wind green bike, & was quite a distance away from the house when it first started to sprinkle. I hadn't turned back, and headed for home for even a minute, when it started to pour. With no hope of pedalling it home without looking like a drowned rat, I spied a group of lilac bushes snuggled-up against a tall, wooden fence. It's amazing how resourceful a twelve yr old can be, using just a little imagination.
I made my way to the lilacs. Between the very large, full bushes was a natural arch. It was just wide & tall enough for me to be able to sit down quite comfortably under it's fragrant protection, & onto a convenient patch of dry grass. Beneath this refuge from the storm, I listened to the rumbling thunder, the strong wind, the incessant sound of rain pelloting everything around me, & I watched the free display of wicked lightning. I even played the 'what shape does that cloud make?' game (which is just as fun when you are by yourself). But mostly, I remember that I sat there... and just listened.

So, when I was awoken by the sounds of the first, real rainstorm of the yr, I fluffed-up my pillow, & resisted the urge to roll-over in bed, & fire-up the neaby laptop. No -- not even the lure of technology, with it's back-lit, bright blue buttons & it's colorful browsing tabs, was strong enough to draw me away from that cove of royal purple lilacs, & the sights, sounds, and fragrances of that rainy day, so many yrs ago. There are few things as lastingly memorable as the combined scent of moist lilacs, and fresh, summer rain. Even laying there in bed, I swear that I could almost make out the slight aroma of blooming, wet lilacs...

When the last pitter-pats of rain had ceased falling onto the roof, I got up, and opened the drapes. I grabbed my digital camera, and snapped a few pics of the clouds (shown here, in this blog). Had I gotten out of bed earlier, I probably could've taken some really good pictures of the clouds, while it was still raining -- capturing their wispyness, & washed-out, water-color shapes... but I'm glad I didn't. This was only the first, real rainstorm of the entire yr, and there will be other opportunities to capture images of rain-swollen clouds. Maybe then, I will grab my digital camera, and fire-off a few shots...

... but on this day, it was far better to lay there... and just listen.