October Thought Day 11: Rainy Day Woman

I’ve been wishing. I’ve been hoping. I’ve been watching the Weather Channel like some sort of lunatic and today it happened, the first October rain of the season. No wonder I felt better today. There is something otherworldly about October rain. It isn’t as mesmerizing as spring rain, but it is right up there. It’s like liquid joy, the emotion not the dish soap.

There wasn’t any rain when I first woke up and it wasn’t even in the forecast. The sun was hiding behind clouds and that was good enough for me. Then as the day progressed, the sky got darker and more menacing and then the heavens opened up. I quickly grabbed my blanket and a good book and sat out on the porch so I could better enjoy my liquid sunshine. I closed my eyes and listened to the tap dance of wet little droplets on the roof. I opened my eyes and watched the rain slide down the drainpipes. I sniffed in the delicious scent of damp earth. It was awesome. I took leave of my blanket and cozy nook to put on my rain stompin’ boots so I could twirl and splash in the small accumulated puddles. I had enormous fun.

Sooner than I wanted the rain turned from a drizzle to a mist and then stopped altogether. But the sky was still dark and the wind took over where the rain left off. I hope the rain comes back again this evening so its soothing melody can serenade me to sleep.

I love rain in general, but in October it is truly something special. I love the way the rain makes the leaves all shiny and enhances their jewel tones. I love the slurping, sucking sound they make as I scoop them up. I have been caught in rainstorms twice while exploring corn mazes and it is wonderful. I have my trusty umbrella handy and I enjoy the sound the rain makes on the stalks. That and I like to imagine if the astronauts are really bored, they can key into a satellite and watch a tiny black dot go through the maze. Like a live action version of Pac-Man.

October rain in sodium lights is even better than squishing through a wet maze. The lights turn the rain orange and it looks like pumpkin juice falling from the sky. If they are regular lights the scene is no less spectacular, against the inky darkness the rain looks like diamonds. Which prompts me to ask, is there such a thing as a pumpkin diamond, or at least an orange diamond? OH MY GOODNESS there is!!!!! I am pretty sure I need one.

Anyway, October rain, what a fantastic treat in a month that is chock full of them.