Rain

Our dusty Texas driveway lusting for rain

Blessed rain!  Personally, my mood is affected by extensive periods of cloudy days.  I don't think I would ever survive in a place where the sun didn't even come UP for months at a time.  However, rain and the occasional (non-damaging) storm is exciting and wonderful to me.

Looking across our front yard and the hitching rail

Maybe being from Texas is what makes rain so very special and good.  Historically, rain in geographically dry places can bring joy because it sooths and refreshes.  My grandfather was a farmer in west Texas.  He swore it would rain right up to his fence line and stop.  I suppose it has to stop somewhere...  John's father used to say that the Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust - and he always seemed to be just in between.  (I thought that was pretty funny!)  But rain, or even cloudiness, in places prone to flooding causes emotions to stress, especially in men.

Rain is so very important in some places like Botswana that their word for rain is the same as the name of their money!  Now THAT's a joyous reaction to rain.  I've heard of money (not) growing on trees, but falling from the sky?  That would be fun.  But, come to think of it, when it rains it grows crops and crops can become money - or food that money can't buy.

Don't you just love the smell in the air after a good rain?  That fragrance is caused by petrichor, an oil produced by plants.  The earth and things soak up the oil, and the rain releases it into the air during rain. 

While we were in Kauai the tourism literature said Mount Waialeale was the wettest spot on earth.  But the Himalayas have gotten the highest average rainfall - and it almost all comes between April and September.  Maybe that's why Kauai says it's the wettest because it rains nearly every day of the year - not just the occasional flood.

But, back here in Texas, I just love the rain.  All the dust gets washed off of the leaves and fences, the flowers look brighter, the grass gets greener that ANY amount of garden hose water would EVER make it.  Even the animals seem friskier!  I love the rain and a good thundering, lightening flashing storm!