Rainy Saturday

Today, I actually slept late - all the way until 8:00 a.m. That is late when normal waking hours are 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. But then, it is also overcast, and there has been a light rain falling off and on. It was darker later in the morning hours. I never heard rainfall during the night, but could see the wet pavement on the back patio this morning. It's rather amazing what we can pick up from simple clues, if we are paying attention.

My bedroom windows happen to be on the side of the house where our very well-used nighborhood jogging trail slices through my yard. At one time, 30 years ago, there was a gently sloping, grass covered bar ditch there. Then, the city came through and enlarged the ditch, making it so deep that it could not be mowed or negotiated in any safe sense. Then, for months, there was road construction on the side street such that we had no access to our driveway or sidewalk, with the end result being that the ditch was covered, with huge drainage pipes lurking beneath to carry away rain runoff. Our lush St. Augustine grass was replaced with a sidewalk, curb and gutter, and weed-choked grass farm turf that never quite took hold on the never-well graded sandy surface below.

Now, I am privvy to any and all conversations, all rhythmic padding of running feet, all dogs getting into altercations along the path, all swim-team conditioning runs, and all children fussing about which part of the wagon they want to sit on, or in, or to push or pull.

And when the rain comes, I can tell by the sound of the cars passing by, and the water under the tires. And the quiet demeanor on the trail... And I have to say I relish it. Sleeping in is wonderful.