I had counted on a walk today, and, just as I silenced the alarm next to my bed, the still of the morn was interrupted by a long rumble of thunder.  I sighed, and would have rolled my eyes had they been open.  Then, I had a horrible thought as I slipped into my moccasins ‘what if that rumble was another earthquake like the one we had yesterday?’  Well, I got up anyway, and was glad I did, because that rumble was not the precursor to anything.  Go figure.  The weather folks are predicting four perfect days stretched ahead of us, with nary a raindrop and only blue skies.  Well, we’ve all glommed onto that good news prediction and hope they are correct.

It took forever to get light enough to leave as the dark clouds seemed to hang heavy and low in the sky, giving the impression I could reach up and touch them.  I decided to just walk in the ‘hood and take an umbrella along so I didn’t get soaking wet should Mother Nature turn on the faucet while I was out and about.

There are definite pros and cons to all this rain we’ve had.  The homeowners in a corner house on Ferris Street laid some new sod nearly a month ago – could they have picked a better time to do so?  The sod strips have already grown together and the grass is dark green and lush.  On the other hand, the budding sidewalk chalk artists have finally thrown their hands up in exasperation and said “enough” because every time they create a drawing, the rain comes along and washes it away.

I’ve passed alot of homes that have those wrinkly looking pocket hoses hanging haphazardly on a gate, or perhaps slung over a shepherd’s hook.  They remind me of my leotards I’d used to wear back in the day.  I’d peel off my big old snow boots when I got to school and that in turn tugged down the leotards ‘til they would gather in rolls up and down my legs, eventually pooling at the ankles.  That would require a quick dash to the little girls room to yank them up and smooth them to look presentable again.  I’d bemoan how they looked, but all us girls wore them with our school dresses, in a putrid beige, royal blue or black.  Well, I think of those horrid leotards every time I see a pocket hose.

I’m happy to say I’ve only used my hose twice this year and that was to spray down the cottonwood from the grille of the AC unit.  It seems that every time I set out to fertilize the roses and perennials, they are calling for a torrential rain, or stormy weather, so I figure ‘why let all that goodness end up as rivulets in the yard’ so I’ve not fertilized yet.  None of the plants look any the worse for it.  In fact, I’m really proud my holly that has risen from the ashes since I cut it down over Memorial Day weekend.  After I nipped, pruned and sawed it down, it looked really terrible, but it has alot of new growth and is coming around.  It will never-ever be the beautiful globe that it once was before the original Polar Vortex struck it down, but it is getting’ there.

Finally, as I was walking up my street to go home, the sun came out – so, I never needed the umbrella after all.  Well, you could’ve fooled me because it was a mighty ugly sky when I left; it is Murphy’s Law that you only need an umbrella, the day you have left it on the umbrella stand at home.