VACATION FROM SUMMER

We’ve had a long stretch of hot weather this summer. The hot spell broke this weekend and it went the other way. It’s been 15 to 20 degrees cooler and raining. Personally, I don’t mind. The rain hit late Saturday evening and I spent awhile sitting on the porch just listening to the rain start. Lavender smells wonderful as it cools and the rain starts to hit. It just sprinkled for a while and the hopeful cricket next to the porch kept up his chirping. Then, somebody turned the faucet on full and even the cricket gave up. He probably figured no one was going to come calling during the deluge.

It’s funny, you can water and water and water and not get half the results that you get from the rain. Everything stands a little straighter and the lawns start to green up a bit. The neighborhood cats get that puzzled look-“I thought this stuff was gone for good, sheesh.”

On the way to work this morning I saw a piece of a rainbow up in the clouds. There was barely a curve to it, just a section of color. No camera, darn it. For a day or two after the rain stops, we’ll be able to see the trees on the hills and sneezing will be kept to a minimum. Ah, the southern Willamette Valley in spring and summer. When we aren’t sneezing at the grass pollen, we’re sneezing at the grass smoke. In a few days it’ll be pushing 90 again for a while, but it’s fun while it lasts.