The rainy season, or monsoon season is upon us here in the Southwest. Ahhhh, we have been waiting for you! Our desert dryness gets so hot and uncomfortable until finally the rainy season comes and we have little cool, stormy breaks in the evenings. We've had a few magical stormy evenings of late, we're hoping they keep coming.
The rain here is like none I've ever seen before. My husband and I used to live in Columbus, Ohio which is rated one of the rainiest places in the country. We grew up in New York, so we've seen all kinds of different rains. But the rain here is just unique. Dark and ominous clouds roll in. Sometimes you'll see rain falling off in the distance, something I had never seen before. Then comes thunder and lightning and rain that just pours and floods. It may rain for a half hour or an hour if you're lucky and at rare times it will rain all night. Those are such lovely nights filled with cool refreshing air and that wet, desert Creosote bush smell.
The birds congregate and get excited along with us.
I remember when my husband and I first came to this area for our honeymoon, before moving from Ohio. We were in awe over the flash rains. The sky would open and up and it looked like a giant bucket pouring a seemingly never ending amount of water down upon us. Then it would just clear up and move on. A quick, violent down pour and then more happy blue skies. We were also amazed that you can see the rain falling from the clouds. The other night we went for a drive at sunset and we saw pink, purple and orange rain falling. An amazingly beautiful sight I will never forget. Of course I didn't have my camera!
My little "rain boy" as I like to call him loves the rain. But lately he's decided he detests thunder. The other night during a big storm he hid under this pillow, cringing every time it thundered but fell right asleep.
So funny that just that simple pillow over his body made him feel safe and secure enough to sleep.
Anyway, it sure is a lovely break from the hundred degree temperatures! Until next time...
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How timely - I was just writing about rain and thunder myself...we are getting a lot of rain right now, too. I do miss the southwest rains, though - I know what you mean about the refreshing smell of the air, the contrast of sunshine and cloudburst. I lived in Colorado for a time and after being in the misty-drizzly Pacific Northwest my whole life, was amazed at the sudden storms that came rolling in and poured on down. There was such a unique, exciting, energetic way about it, which you so wonderfully described here.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rainy season! :)