The rain has started

I live in a suburb of Portland, Oregon in the US Pacific Northwest and when I tell people, who have never been here that, they usually say, "oh--doesn't it rain there all the time?" We nod and shake our heads sadly and agree that, yes, it rains here all the time. That's not true, of course, but we are obliged to continue to spread that myth, otherwise everyone would want to move here and all those extra people would be a serious disruption! But, just between you and me--and you mustn't tell anyone else--it rains just enough to keep things here green and glorious, but nowhere near "all the time." Srpings and summers in NW Oregon are excellent! We get some rain in the spring, but mostly we get amazing flowers as far as the eye can see and most summers are relatively dry, green and not too hot. Perfect, actually. Fall is when the rain starts. Sometimes it comes early and sometimes, like this year, it comes late and allows us to have amazing fall color and weather. I took these photos last week.

This week the rain started. First with a light mist and some fog, then some gentle showers that cleaned the air and made everything in the garden sparkle. Soon the rain will fade the colors and turn the fallen leaves sodden and slimy. We will be in that dark season, when we begin to believe it really never will stop raining. For now the rain is welcome. The smell is rich and earthy and our little creek is filling up after a summer of bare trickle. We love the rain, when you get right down to it, and know that on this earth, this is one of the blessed places where we can take the glorious gift of water for granted, while, in other parts of the country and world hurricanes and excessive water are threatening life and property, or the lack of water has given rise to drought and wildfires. In the dark days of February I will try to remember what a gift all this water truly is.

So these are my thoughts as I contemplate how I will interpret "water" in this next piece. Rain is certainly on my mind, but rivers, lakes, oceans; warm showers and indoor swimming pools all play a part in my life.

I haven't started yet, but images are coming together in my mind.