July 18th, 2023

Like a most places in the world right now, we are having some super hot days.  Which isn't all that unusual,   this is July and it is Florida, so there is an expectation of sunshine.  But the thing is, this is supposed to be the rainy season and we have been seeing precious little of that.  I t's been day after day of hot, sweltering, scorching, roasting, searing, parching, blistering, sun.

And then last  night, while we were sitting around relaxing in the family room (and it is so nice to be able to write that, by the way) we heard thunder.  And our ears perked up.  But not our expectations. We've been fooled before.  

During this record breaking heat, we've gotten our hopes up way too many times.  Heard the thunder, even seen the lightening, the sky gets darker and darker and then, and then, and then.....nothing.  Dang.  So we didn't dare hope too hard.

In fact, by the time we went to bed, the sound of the thunder had passed and the ground was just as dry as it was before and the air was just as hot, even in the darkness.  Which mean that waking up to rain bright and early this morning was an unexpected delight!  Somewhere during the night or in the wee hours of morning, finally, the rain came!  I wanted to go out and dance in it!  Do a full on Gene Kelly, "singing in the rain" musical number in the courtyard!

By the time I was showered and dressed, it had backed off a little bit and there was just the merest sprinkle tickling the shrubbery.  But I grabbed my camera and my rubber flipflops and stepped out side anyway. 

It was still warm but comparatively, much better.  It was still humid (duh...rain is the ultimate humidity). But instead of feeling oppressive and stifling it felt exhilarating!  I love that smell!  Floral, Green, Dirt and Rain is a heady combo.  The first thing I noticed was how all of the green growing stuff had perked up.  Happy Happy Happy!!  The second thing was that the birdbath, which I had cleaned but not refilled - (malaria mosquito alert which is a whole other thing) - was completely full to overflowing.  A sure indicator of a terrific storm! Hurrah!

I took a few photos.  Of course I did!~

Maybe now we are back to a more normal Florida summer where yes, it's hot and it's humid, but every day or perhaps even every other day, there is some rain. Then we can return be being lush and green and floral and we will have enough water to get us through the rest of the year when i is no sort of humid at all.

I feel a little like those folks, way back when, who, out of desperation, would hire a "Rainmaker" to resolve a drought and save their farms during the dustbowl era of the 1930's.  Curiously, the 'dustbowl' was caused by poor land management.  Effectively, too many people making really bad decisions about how they treated their little piece of our planet.  Some people are saying that our current world-wide heatwave originated with similar mindset and behaviours.  A shame.  Why didn't we learn from our own past?

That is the purpose of history, right?  To learn from.  It's why we are taught history in school. Not just to practice by memorizing names and dates to pass a test but so that we can learn from our mistakes.  Make better decisions, better choices, have a better outcome. sigh.

Meanwhile, I am delighted in our rain today and, according to the weather report, we should have more rain all week long. Not every minute of every day, but rain at some point every day this week.  No idea what will happen after that or even how accurate the prediction is. So, much like everything outside soaking in that lovely rain and getting happy and healthy again, I will just enjoy what I have.  

Funny how in years past, I've written about how annoying the daily rain is, soaking Tim and I when an unexpected shower passes overhead while we are out for a walk or interrupting an outside event, or just the cabin fever from being stuck inside.  This year, I cannot imagine complaining about it. Give us, this day, our daily rain!