Wet at Last

I forgot to mention that yesterday afternoon just before four o'clock, I passed by the time/temperature display at a local bank, and saw the temperature reading drop from fifty-three degrees to fifty-two degrees. Shiver. I'm most comfortable when the temperature is in the mid sixties. Most years, there is a long period of such weather in autumn. This year, we have zipped right past it.

Tonight, clouds slowly gathered and obscured the stars. If the aurora comes, I won't see it. The bright side is that rain has begun. It is a mere sprinkle as yet, but I can hear it splattering on the leaves of the mulberry tree, and when I open the door I can smell the dampness rising from the ground. In spite of the cold, I stood on the porch a long time, taking in that delightful scent. Nearby, I heard an owl hooting. I don't think this rain will last very long, but I hope the owl sticks around for Halloween. Dried leaves skittering in the breeze, a little bit of moonlight, and a hooting owl are perfect for Halloween. It would be a nice way to end October.

Bang!

The lighting strike must have been very close. When the thunderclap woke me with a start, the drawn drapes were still bright with the flash, then went dark. I could hear hail clattering down even as the peal of thunder reverberated. When I pulled back the drapes, the window revealed a world covered in glistening white hailstones. The hailstorm soon subsided, but the rain has continued. The pavements have been washed clean, but the lawn is still covered in white patches. The thunder has continued, too, resounding through the gray sky, but I have seen no more lightning. Neither have I sen any evidence of that strike which woke me. No branches are missing from any nearby trees, no utility pole shows any damage. But, after two hours, the rain has diminished, and I hear birds chirping and chattering as they fly through the chill air and peck at the wet ground. And the glimpse of the dogwood tree across the street which I get from my window reveals that the leaves are at last turning red. Gray and red go nice together.