It's Raining, It's Pouring...

Took a Walk in the Rain Today...

It was so beautiful out with the rain pouring down. I've been wishing for rain like this. I went out by myself while the boys were playing games (big boys included) and walked up the hill, into the woods. I went without a hat, the better to feel each lovely giant raindrop falling on my head.

I was fortunate enough to come upon our ravens. Usually they are extremely wary and don't let a human anywhere near them. I guess the rain muffled the sounds of my coming enough that they stuck around a while. I leaned against a tree and enjoyed the many calls sounding nearly over my head. There were answers a ways off, the other half of the pair. Did you know ravens mate for life? Or that they have over twenty different vocalizations? Or that they have tested smarter than chimps in intelligence tests?

Standing in the rain, listening to the ravens, watching rainwater flow down the glistening orange madrone trunks, breathing deep, acknowledging the creator of all with my joy was as spiritual an experience as praying for my friends in church this morning. Different, but not more or less. It was what Madeleine L'Engle calls "being'' time. Just listening, just "being".

I felt a tingling, an awakening in my being. Perhaps the beginning of a Story.

Today's Pictures

Do you see the bird?

This rainbow lasted about three minutes...

So sad. No one will push me up the driveway. . .

Rain, Glorious Rain

It smells sooo good out! The wet earth, the fallen leaves... Hurray for autumn!! It's grand to see all the ditches filling with water and to hear the creek flowing again. I love water in all it's wonderful forms. I love to take a walk in the rain and come home soaked and dripping (as long as I know I can warm up after it's great).

We had our home made soup and donut party this evening. We had a great time. I completely forgot to get my camera out so I don't have any pictures :( The weather worked out perfectly, it rained hard all morning then was clear and kinda warm during the late afternoon and most of the evening. This mattered cause it was an indoor/outdoor party. It only started to rain again after most people had gone and we were pretty much done cleaning up the outdoor stuff.

Everyone brings either a pot of soup or a batch of donut dough (in some cases both). We ended up with two kinds of chili, chicken noodle, venison stew, and potato sausage soup. Plain old fashioned donuts, chocolate old fashioned, pumpkin cake donuts, and big fluffy yeast donuts. I also made a batch of gluten-free, sugar-free donuts for those of us who can't have the regular ones. I think we had about 25 people. Most of it family :)

It is raining hard again now. I LOVE our metal roof. I love the rain nice and loud. I'm afraid when we finally finish the ceiling in the stairway it won't be loud enough any more lol.

Hubby was talked into entering a bicycle race this morning by a friend of ours. Even though he hasn't ridden in a month or two he was totally excited about doing it, nervous too. He's not a racer he just enjoys riding his bike. But anything including friends and competition is ten times better than without. The track was a mile I think. Very loopy and hilly. And muddy. So, they had to race for 30 min., and see how many times around they could go. Everyone riding came out of there covered head to toe in mud. People had it caked in their hair and covering their faces...everywhere :) Lotsa fun, he's eager to go again.