We’re expecting rain tonight. In many places, that’s usual. In my place, rain is rare and creates an uproar in the community. If it rains during the school day my students will be eating and recessing in the classroom. The backpacks will have to come inside instead of resting on the hooks outdoors. The kids will get wet walking to the cafeteria, to the bathroom, to the library…essentially anywhere they go! Our school was built without regard to rain. After all, rain is rare here.

When it rains, the freeways will become slip and slides. Drivers, not used to driving in weather, will drive too fast. They will drive through accumulated water (since drainage is also a problem) without considering its depth or potential danger. They will hit the breaks too hard and slide, creating traffic obstacles in a place where traffic is already problematic. Maybe that’s why so many in this community just want to hunker down when there is a threat of rain.

But I hope it really does rain tonight. We need rain. For the plants and animals. For the reservoirs and streams. And maybe just to cool our unusually hot weather down a bit. The forecast keeps pushing the time back…but the clouds are roiling and the wind is blowing. We’ve had a few sprinkles in the last hour…

It’s coming

a storm

moody clouds

gathering, racing, darkening

distilling raindrops

rare in this place

readying for a

downpour

thunderstorm

precipitation

precious water

tonight

fingers crossed

#writeout #writewherewestand #clouds #storm

Please hold some wet wishes for us in this place!