HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?

Glorious as it was, Sunday was the day that I noticed a sharp turn in the vegetation.  Although watered regularly, the plants were starting to show signs of mortality, and there was more wilted than not.  Leaves were charred and fruit was ripening too quickly.  Without relief from post century temperatures, my flock would be too bare to fleece.  It was rather sad.  However, there was a glimmer of hope beyond the horizon.  Perhaps a little too far beyond the horizon.  

My next door neighbours were the only people to join me in the afternoon, and we chatted for a while, each bemoaning the fate of our plant life!  I apologised for being the voice of doom and gloom before I left, and they graciously accepted my apology, with that of their own!  It reminded me of how I thought of Austin when I first moved here.  Stepford!  I must add that I quite enjoy the 'Stepford' aspect! Politeness to a fault has its advantages!

Considering the heat, the pool appeared to be a little cooler on Monday morning, and I realised that although we are still in the middle of August, and the height of summer, the sun does fall behind the trees and houses a little earlier at this time of year.  It was somewhat refreshing to swim in the cooler temperatures, and I felt a slight shiver as I got into the water.  

An 'express' delivery man came into the office with a parcel for the 'corner' suite.  He said he had left a note on the door to say that he had left it with us.  I wondered whom would be the person to collect.  Would it be the original member of staff, whom we know, or would it be the new girl, the 'catwalk model' who would make a paper bag look like designer wear with a pair of heels!  Sure enough, the 'new girl' came in.  Stepford! Her voice was like honey, and her personality seemed to be in syncronisation with the rest of her.  Pure loveliness.  I got up to greet her and introduced myself.  She was so, so, so grateful for us having taken in the parcel, and I told her it was our pleasure. After all, we are a 'constant' and the delivery men often left packages with us if the occupants of the various offices were not in. She wore a paper bag and looked amazing!  Actually, the paper bag was an off the shoulder 'sloppy joe' over a pair of dusky leggings with sandals that were neither 'here nor there', but seemed to blend in with her feet!  

I swanned into Grant.  "I called you, but you did not respond", I said in a breathless sort of voice, swooning as I did so.  Dana was a little bemused. I went on to extol the virtues of the lovely lady and laughed at my loss of youth.  Dana still did not get it!  Explaining the humour that I saw in knowing that 'those days' had gone, perhaps made me sound a little bitter, and try as I might to assure my husband that I was not at all envious, jealous or indeed bitter, made it sound as if I was 'protesting too much'.  Trying to emphasise the fact that I had made it through the 'early' years, and motherhood, and was now reveling in the 'grandma era' did little to convince him.  I decided to 'quit whilst ahead', or in his mind before I dug any deeper!

My productiveness was not as prolific as I had anticipated.  Plans to 'bin' a large quantity of completely useless items did not amount to much.  The idea was there, but the 'one step at a time' rule was not applied.  Instead, I went 'headlong' into the project, and accomplished very little.  By the time I got into a stride it was time to finish.  I was a little bit disappointed, but it did give me hope for another day.  What more could there be to do, I hear you ask.  After all, even the abyss is somewhat livable now!  The fact is, it is tidy, not clutterless! 

Samantha and her father had planned on a day at the mall, and had dropped the dogs off at the office.  I had called Grant earlier to ask if he would be kind enough to collect me from my house, save me driving to the office.  His response was that he would be with me in 'a couple of minutes', and so I left my house and walked down the hill to meet him.  Of course, the 'couple of minutes' was not, and I felt as if I needed to go home and take a shower after three!  The humidity was very high, and I stood wondering how deep the puddle would be by the time he arrived! More than a few drops of moisture ran down the side of my face and dropped off my chin.  The promise that cooler climes were on their way was not followed up with a specific time! Like the proverbial 'cheque in the post', we had to trust that it would arrive.  However, like the proverbial 'cheque in the post', we could not be sure of the honesty!

Thankfully, the shopping trip was not as long as it could have been, and the truck rolled up to pick up the dogs around four.  "What do you think of the truck?" I asked my daughter's father.  He nodded his head and said, "It's a far cry from the mini!"  We looked at our daughter and knew that she was no longer the same person that left the shores of Blighty!  Although not a Texan by birth, she portrays the saying, "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could!"  

Having not seen Joe for a while, I thought it was time to replenish the dwindling supplies of coffee in our office.  I spent a good couple of hours chatting to him and Tom and discussing current affairs!  We laughed a lot!  It was good to have a change of scenery, and after I collected my bags of ground beans, I headed back north to continue on with my day.  After a quiet couple of days, the work poured in and I barely left my desk until it was time to leave for the day!  

It finally happened on Thursday.  Around two in the afternoon, there was a drop in temperature of about twenty five degrees, and the wind started to blow.  Samantha returned from walking the dogs, and commented that I should go and feel how good it was!  Not to walk the dogs, I might add, but the coolness in the air.  I exited the building along with a good few more of the occupants.  We stood and watched the trees, as they blew back and forth, and stepped out from under the canopy that covers the walkway to our building.  We then ran back under the canopy as Texas size drops of rain splattered on the ground. Lightening and thunder followed, and the storm was upon us.  The car park flooded and we watched as if we had never seen rain before. 

A break in the storms allowed me to swim on Thursday evening, and the water felt wonderful.  Once again, I felt as if I was in the 'tropics' as steam came off the water, and soft rain fell whilst I was swimming. I could breathe!  It was such an easy swim as the buoyancy carried me along from one end to the other.  No doubt heads were shaking at the mad Englishwoman and her wanton abandonment!  The birds were singing, and there was a break in the clouds, so there was no imminent danger.  

We did experience a minute without power later in the evening.  It was very brief, but long enough to make me wonder how long it would last, but it was not preceded by a lightening strike, nor thunder clap, so why it happened was a mystery.  Perhaps a disconnection of a wire, or maybe a reset?  Either way, the lights came back on and our evening progressed.

The steam continued to rise from the water on Friday, and Samantha joined me in the water for an early morning modicum of exercise.  By now, the rain had filtered through and the water was heavy. However, it was not unpleasant.  "Did you get rain?" was the question on everyone's lips, as if it was a prize that not everyone had won!  Once again, there was a storm and more precipitation covered the ground, which had soaked up the previous contribution and was very ready for some more.  

Thunder filled the air as we got home, but it did not last.  As I reached the gate to the pool, I heard a slight, almost taunting rumble.  "Go away!" I shouted, and it did!  I thought of the bible verse, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and waves obey Him!" I was thankful!  Much as we needed the rain, I had munched my way through a large bag of crisps after lunch and felt rather lethargic and full!  

The weather prognosticators had promised rain, and their promises had been delivered.  Their prognostications had indicated that Saturday would be dry and the rest of the following week would have a degree of precipitation each day.  I took myself out on Saturday morning and decided to get my car washed.  It was filthy!  In fact, the debris around the corners where the windscreen wipers did not wipe, was thick and nasty.  I wondered how accurate the meteorological experts were, but decided to bow to their greater knowledge.  I went past the car wash, saw that it was empty, and turned around.  In the sixty seconds (perhaps less, perhaps more) that it took me, two cars had entered the facility.  I waited not long before my car was sprayed and bathed!  Shining like new I drove the vehicle to the supermarket and shopped.  Coming back to the various shops I need to visit before reaching home, the clouds started to roll in.  I was confident in the experts' opinion.  True to their word, there was no rain!  However, during the afternoon, a small cloud must have cried overhead as there was a definite sprinkling for a minute or two!  I read and I dozed.  It was most enjoyable and despite the temperature rising again to the century, it was not unpleasant.

I looked at my plants in the afternoon, and it was as if they had been given a new lease of life!  Two days of intermittent rain, and they had perked up!  It was a lovely sight, and those tomatoes that were green, were still green, and perhaps they had a chance to grow before fully ripening.  I picked off some 'blueberries' again, and set them aside, wondering if there would be anymore.  I would imagine some would have no option but to mature early!  Such is life!  

Sunday again, and the sprinkle first thing in the morning appeared to dissipate.  Bright as it was, the clouds started to look a little angry, and a menacing group of delinquents appeared to be on the horizon.  I was anticipating a wet afternoon, and had plans to continue with the redistribution of my useless belongings to a dumpster!  I could get in a few laps when the 'delinquents' allowed, if it came to that!

Looking out at the threatening skies, I am not sure how my day will end, or indeed proceed!  Breezy conditions and dark skies are not usually conducive to receiving company by the pool.  I care not today. I am ready to read my way into the evening!  However, I am also prepared for a change in plan, which is a little different for me!  Two plans in one day!  A contingency plan?  Perhaps like my daughter I have learned to embrace change!  Who can tell? I better make that ............. another story!