Rain

Ahhh....  waking to the sound of rolling thunder, so strong, that from the cozy warmth of the covers, you can smell the fresh rain washing the earth. Waking to puddles, happy plants and a sense of hope.  All this from just over an inch of precious rain.  Everyone I met today had a spring in their step. Something good in the news to talk about! I am hopeful for a repeat storm tonight as the conditions are favorable for the evening heat to yield to the clouds doing their thing. The last lightning storm we had Anni told me, "God is taking pictures."  What a sweet observation.  She saw the flash in the sky....  Some of my happiest childhood memories involve rain.  I remember my mom Always had a box of Betty Crocker brownie mix hidden for rainy days.  My sisters and I all share an affinty for brownies.  We all like them with a light dusting of powdered sugar.  I remember the time it rained so hard the gutters filled up and all the neighborhood kids floated homemade boats down the street.  I remember scurrying to get the clothes off the line...  watching the ticker on the TV so I could tell my family if we needed to hide in the bathtub.  I wasn't scared.  I wanted to put my mattress in the bathtub.  That sounded fun!  I remember my dog, Scruffy, retreating to his hiding spot during storms.  Somehow he managed to squeeze himself behind the toilet.  He would shake and shake.  He didn't want to snuggle.  For whatever reason, that was his spot.  I had a tin roof for 13 years.  I remember listening to the storm while baking, nursing, singing to the girls.  I love rain.  The smell, the sound, comfort, and hope it brings to so many living things.