After the December Rain

Since the snow of a few days back, the weather has been haze and drizzle -- gray and misty and cold. Then on Tuesday night there was a downpour that reminded us what a blessing shelter is. It raged and beat against the window panes, set up a tattoo on the metal roof, and generally sounded like Noah's flood had come again.

We feared that the road would be washed away but when morning dawned, there were only two inches in the rain gauge and, though branches that are usually mere trickles were roaring, the road was intact.

After all this time with no sun to speak of, it was a bit of a thrill just to see good strong shadows. . .

. . . and to see the river birch decked briefly in a million fairy lights.