Rain

On Sunday, at around 3:30 in the afternoon, the sky became dark. I looked out the window and saw dozens of birds speeding across the sky, carried by a stiff breeze. I went outside and stood on the steps, and waited for the rain to begin. I stretched out my hand beyond the covered area, and let the first drops fall on my skin, and felt their coolness. It hasn't rained for several months. It only lasted for about 15 minutes, but the power went off immediately, and came back when the rain stopped.

Yesterday it began at mid-morning, and rained until mid-afternoon. Lots of rumbling thunder, which I like, and the power off for hours.

This morning it's raining again -- splatting, solid. The air is saturated. The temperature has come down. It's the normal pattern here during the hot season: heat builds and builds, and then is broken by thundershowers.

I hope the power doesn't go off again, because I have a lot of work to do. The new fiscal year began on the first of April, so there are papers to be gathered for the accountant, and several taxes to be paid. I'm half-convinced that the Electricity Board sends people out to turn the power off when it rains, so that the jury-rigged electric boxes, with all their exposed wires, don't get flooded and begin to spark.

The garden changes colour immediately, as dust washes off of the leaves. Our rather ramshackle plants are lush and swaying. It's what the tropics are supposed to look like, for a change.