Canoe believe how much it’s raining?
Friday January 22nd 2010, 8:48 pm
Filed under: "Wrapped in Comfort",Amaryllis,Life

The first amaryllis to rebloom despite last year’s definite and atypical lack of plant care, and a very bright spot in our weather.

I’d been needing to go to the post office all week, but the incessant storms were making it a nice time to sit down with a good knitting project in hand and my feet up–never mind the hearing aids, where getting wet or not is the $6400 question.

But the skies finally held their breath for a moment, Friday presented the gift of an arbitrary deadline, and at about 4:25, I finally kicked myself out the door.

Driving there, I was surprised at how high the water was in the Baylands.  It would be so easy right now to repeat the February day when my oldest was 16 and, as a certified Red Cross volunteer, had helped run the emergency shelter with my husband: a friend of mine was in there, having gone to bed the night before on one side of the room and having woken up to find her waterbed on the other side now, it having become, yay verily, a water bed.  Hovering near the ceiling.

I’d called my friend Lisa to let her know that folks had been evacuated from her old apartment building by boat.

There was also our friend Brad who’d wondered if the water might be coming up in the street and decided he’d better go open his front door to check–only to see his koi from his back yard right there, swimming past his feet.  So long, and thanks for all the fish.

It raiiiiiiiiiined as I drove.

I got in the post office with my hood over my head, got my four packages safely on their way, I got back to the car and on down the road.  There was traffic, a light, the freeway nearby that everybody seemed to be heading to or from–

–and then there was me.  On a quiet, narrow road.  Going past the side of the San Francisco Bay marshes, the sky thunderously dark in puffy soft clouds that made it hard to take the threat seriously, and right in front of them, suddenly, the sun! Bright, vividly shining as only the rain behind it in the late day can make it, with a strong rainbow arching across the water to land somewhere over…there, where, as I approached, a white egret, standing in the enlarged lake, had its head tucked down.

Hoping perhaps for an incoming koi for dessert.


9 Comments so far
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My heavens! Where did you go to the post office? As for that egret, waiting for the koi, is that supposed to be in response to my posting today?

It is rather intriguing when the sun breaks through the clouds like that. I didn’t get to see a rainbow, but I was out in the car with Clif the other day when the sun broke through, and I basked in its warmth.

Humor –
 
The senility prayer: Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Comment by Don Meyer 01.22.10 @ 8:57 pm

Hey, I got to go out today, too! Although I confess I forgot to go to the P.O. as I was intent on having a good time. Went to the grocery store instead! The ducks were out, but I didn’t see any fish….

Comment by Ruth 01.22.10 @ 11:56 pm

That’s the thing about a water bed: you wouldn’t notice the addition of waves in your bedroom.

Comment by Barbara-Kay 01.23.10 @ 4:59 am

I have wondering if you were still high and dry.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 01.23.10 @ 5:49 am

What a lovely reward for braving the elements!

We had a few sunny days this week. We reveled in them!

Comment by Diana Troldahl 01.23.10 @ 7:21 am

I have to admit that I am loving this rain, even though I know that there are a lot of people who are suffering because of it. We need water, but maybe not quite this much at once? 🙂

Comment by Jocelyn 01.23.10 @ 10:09 am

Wow. Koi floating through what should be yard. That’s a lot of rain.

Comment by Channon 01.23.10 @ 11:04 am

We actually got rain last night; from about 5 until sometimes after 8 this morning. The ground’s still frozen, and the dogs are tremendously enjoying splashing in the puddles, and pawing in the mud. Mommy’s not nearly as thrilled, when it’s time to bring them inside.

The rain has melted most of the snow, which makes it look almost like Spring. I think that’s an unfair tease, being only late January in Illinois. We still have at least another month of cold!

Comment by Serena 01.24.10 @ 11:54 am

What an image you left us with! Thanks!

Comment by twinsetellen 01.29.10 @ 2:59 pm



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