As I woke this morning, I heard the unmistakable sound of raindrops hitting the skylight above my bed. I sat up and glanced outside. It was still dark. I couldn’t see, but I still breathed a sigh of sweet relief.
Rain was falling on Oklahoma’s dry and dusty plains. The prognosticators predicted rain all week, but it’s August 1 and high summer. Not a time for 68° and cloudy skies, let alone, sweet, sweet rain.
It rained all morning, and while I forgot to look at my rain gauge when I went outdoors and took pictures, I saw evidence of a slow and gentle outpouring everywhere. The phlox bowed their heavy heads in thankfulness for rain falling from the sky.
In Oklahoma, we never take rain for granted. Never. My part of the state had received no measurable rain since the beginning of June. We’ve had temperatures of over 100° for several days although nothing like in 2011.
Still, I was feeling a bit bedraggled not unlike the ‘Crimson Glory’ sunflowers in the cutting garden. Now, everything is shining and new all because of rain.
Whenever we have a cool and rainy day, I also can’t help but think of the short story by one of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury, “All Summer in a Day.” If you haven’t read it, you should. I’m not going to link to it anywhere because most just give a synopsis of the story. Instead, you need to read it for yourselves. It’s quite claustrophobic, but rain in Oklahoma happens so seldom in summer, we get all the summer days we ever want and then some.
Rainy days and Mondays may get you down, but I’ll take a rainy Tuesday, any day.
Summer rain is indeed the best. I’m surprised it cools down after the rain even in this hot Florida summer!
I do so love a rainy day, most gardeners do!
Central Ohio is nowhere near as brutal in summer as Oklahoma, but we do generally have dry summers. We beg for rain as storms approach, then invariably split as they draw near. But this year we’ve had generous rains, and I’m grateful. As a gardener, I appreciate every rainy day.
LOVED the rain today! My garden seemed to breathe a sign of relief as well! I have never seen a Scabiosa other than lavender! Where did you find yours? ?
What a treat to listen in on your rain. The Bradbury story that stays with me all these years is “The Smallest Assassin” or similar title — yikes!
I sense your joy. I can imagine the relief you and your garden felt with this rain. May it continue.
Yay for rain! My plants are loving this
Amen. Rain in the summertime, especially after a dry spell is a wonderful thing.
Sweet blessed rain. Cool temps in August. I’ll enjoy it while it stays.