Stephenson Family Ties

is for RAIN





We had a rain storm on the eve of December! It was a wondrous rain storm. After having heard on the radio just that day how this November was going to go down as the driest month on record....this rain was a gift!!
Water is always significant when living in a desert. And maybe because it had been dry for so long, I was very cognizant of my environment durning this storm.
It started to pour at 12:00 noon, and it didn't slow down until well after midnight. There was no letting up! The skies just dumbed its contents for hours. I even attempted to be artistic and stood out in the backyard and tried to capture artsy fartsy pictures of the rain. (didn't succeed)
A little later Bob and I had to go out in the deluge. And as is often the case, the rain and cloud cover brought the temps up a tad,so it was really quite pleasant to be out in the downpour. Oh the glorious smells of rain. There is something very unique about the smells of a wet desert. Its downright yummy almost. Earthy!! (duh)
This night the clouds seemed unusually low. Lower than I'm accustomed to seeing. The clouds had slipped down low around the hills like a fluffy neglige' (oh my gosh, my writing class has gone to my head. I was taught to use as many similes as I can. neglige'????) The folks home on the ridge, was barely distinguishable. The lights from town were giving these blankets of clouds an ethereal glow. It was a strange and wonderful evening.
And now for my abscure thoughts-
Bob stores numbers in his head. If asked how much a gallon of water weighs, he'll tell you it weighs 8 pounds. (that's hard to believe isn't it. I, who carry gallons and gallons of milk from the car to the house, should have biceps the size of Angelnia Jolie's dont you think!!??)
Anyway- I've strayed again from my obscure thoughts. So... its been raining 12 hours. How much water is that? I know that clouds and storms are not a static thing. Clouds are moving, and 'alive' and always developing into something different. But think of the water!! Clouds must be HEAVY with water!! Airplanes move through nimbus clouds with the same amount of ease as they fly through the cumulus clouds. My guess is that the dark, towering clouds may be more dense or at least more threatening? I do know we get a better 'ride' through the active clouds. What I'm trying to wrap my brain around is just how HEAVY are those rain clouds?(See what I mean! CLOUD HEAVY!?) They must be incredibly heavy!!! And there they are, hanging over our heads. Being held up....??? Is that what the weatherman means when they talk of low and high pressure systems? I know that you weather buffs out there are shaking your heads right now that a woman could be so naive about the weather, but oh well, I know I still have much to learn about the workings of this glorious planet.
For me, the point is this: the wonder and majesty of this world never stops to amaze me. There are clouds overhead, heavy with water, which appear to be lighter than air. They're floating up there aren't they? But on the contrary, it only stands to reason that they be heavy beyond imagination. Think of hurricanes and tornado's and typhoons. Think of the water!!
This isn't an ecological message. Its food for thought and wonder. Its another expression of appreciation for the world in which we live. A world full of marvels. I see clouds differently now. Heavy clouds hang in the sky. Waiting for the right conditions. Cool, huh!!!