Rain, Glorious Rain

Promises, promises.....you know what I mean.  The last few days we have been told, by various sources who will remain nameless to protect their reputations, that we could expect liquid dropping from the sky...in other words...RAIN.  Ha, I said to myself.  So many times they have said this..."rain expected between 6 AM and 6 PM, amounts anywhere from 1/8 of an inch to 3 inches ."  In other words, the lesser amount, which only serves to settle the dust on my dusty road.

Went to town this morning.  It felt like rain.  There were a few drops on my windshield.  Came back home and unpacked the groceries.  Looked out toward Caney Mountain to the west and what did I see...rain coming my way.  But I knew better.  We have a sign..invisible except to rain clouds...which reads  ANY WHERE FROM THIS BOUNDARY TO THAT BOUNDARY...THERE WILL BE NO RAIN. FINAL WORD!  VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED! How do I know this?  Everyone else gets rain...but not us, up here on the hill. It has gotten to the point where we don't even bother to replace our rain gauge, which bit the dust many months ago.  What's the use?  I was tired of emptying the dirt and bugs out of it every month or so.

I have learned my lesson today.  I doubted that we would get any rain but....here it is.  I had planned on taking my daily walk down the road after lunch.  Joyfully, I get to sit here at the window and watch the water dripping from the eaves.  The birds are loving it too.  They come and perch on the porch railing for a minute or two, shake out their wings, and take off to find shelter in our oak tree's

 welcoming branches.  Don't you know the grass loves this too.  I can almost hear the ground sighing with pleasure.

And we all say together....RAIN, GLORIOUS RAIN.  

 

At Last

Perfect joy!  That is what I felt when Andy brought me this, my first bouquet of spring, a few weeks ago.  Yes, I have a confession.  I am not a gardener.  Any plant I touch, even for a few seconds, turns black and withers in my hand.  Always has been, always will be this way.  Thankfully, I have a husband who is a plant savant.  He just has that special touch.

But, enough of that.  What gives me true happiness at this time of year is to see the returning of green and every other color that gives my whole outlook on life a boost.  I tire of grey and brown and dull, dreary skies as the days of February and March drag on.  I search for signs of spring on my daily walks.  First the small, tentative sprigs of early flowers....fighting to survive late frosts and beating winds  Daffodils struggling to raise their green shoots amid last autumn's leaves.  I bend down over them and, like a mother with a tottering toddler taking his first small steps, I whisper, "Come on sweetheart.  You can do this."  And the ground warms under my hands and I feel the response...."Yes, yes we can."

Spring makes me feel as if I can do almost anything..  I have to be careful not to overdo....too many climbs up my hill or along the road lead to backsets.  Aching legs and sore knees...well, I don't need to dwell on that.  As I rest after my daily walk, I sit on my porch with a wonderful view of Caney Mountain and all that heavenly land that lies, spread out before me, and breathe fresh, springtime air, saying to myself...At last, at long last, spring has arrived.