Friday, August 6, 2010

No Sacrifice Needed . . .

Another dog day 
Dawned -- air heavy, moisture filled.

Hard to breathe -- until . . .
Wet air clinched -- gathered
Itself into rain and strung
The clothesline with pearls.
We sat on the porch,
Watching rain cloak the mountains,
Breathing deep and cool.
 The clematis vine's
Wiry gilded seed pods shone
With tiny diamonds.


We got almost an inch of rain yesterday afternoon and we didn't have to sacrifice a brown dog. Whew! says Maggie --  (see Wikipedia link in yesterday's post.)

The video below is just the rain and the sound it makes on a metal roof. Pure bliss!

 
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20 comments:

Jon Lee said...

I love your pictures. I took a picture of my clematis vine's wiry seed pods yesterday. I will post a picture of it on my blog. I loved your video of the rain on your metal roof. I love rain. Everyone seems to want sunshine all the time, and sunshine is good. But sometimes there is nothing as satisfying to the soul as rain.

Martin said...

Nothing quite a good summer downpour, is there? We went for a walk with our daughter and grandchildren this week. A mile from home and a black cloud loomed. We all gathered under a beautiful oak tree while the rain passed. I love that bitter-sweet aroma of damp earth afterwards.

Alan Burnett said...

Beautiful words. Great images. Together they make a glorious post which I, for one, have thoroughly enjoyed.

Pat in east TN said...

Lovely pictures and I must keep that video handy for our hot, miserable days ... it's so soothing/refreshing.

We had some strong storms move through yesterday afternoon giving us almost 1/2" of rain. The ground soaked it up like a sponge.

Brian Miller said...

nice. great pics...we have had late afternoon storms the last couple days...cooled it off but very electrical, knocking out power an such...

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Great pictures Vicki. There's nothing like sitting on the porch during a rainstorm.

We could use some rain over this way. It threatens each day - but then not much happens.
Sam

Vicki Lane said...

Soul satisfying is exactly what it is, Jon Lee. All our pastures are smiling... and we are too.

Oh, yes, the smell of the damp earth is wonderful, Martin!

Thanks, Alan -- it's a post from the heart, to say the least!

Glad you all got some too, Pat! We'd had some near misses in the previous days and were SO happy finally to be squarely in the path of the rain.

Brian -- we had a bit of thunder (Maggie hates it -- maybe that was the sacrifice) but mostly in the distance.

Maybe you all will be the lucky ones today,Sam!

My husband pointed out that the sound on the video of the rain is pretty much identical to the sound of the threshing machine. Hmmm.

Liz said...

aaaahhhhhh, love the video link. We had a bit of rain in the foothills but your mountains got most of it!

Jean Baardsen said...

Love the photos and the video! Glad Maggie is safe.

Tipper said...

We got rain too! Yay for both of us : )

Reader Wil said...

Wow! Thank you for this refreshing shower! It's a wonderful video!

Elora said...

All we got was a promise in the ferocious dark clouds. The moisture came in one 30-second downpour. And that was it.

But your beautiful pictures have revived me, Vicki! The sound I can only imagine, but hailing from the Pacific Northwest's Washington State, I have no trouble daydreaming up that wonderful music. I'm with Jon Lee.

Elora

NCmountainwoman said...

What a wonderful relief! I'm so happy for you and the area. We had storms everywhere around us but we got only a spatter of rain...just enough to raise the humidity to truly miserable. Hope our turn comes soon.

Deanna said...

Rain pelting the metal roof is pure bliss. My favorite thing is to sit on the porch and watch a storm blow through. Glad you got some relief from the heat.

Beautiful pictures!

Friko said...

Sacrificing a brown dog? Did I miss something?

If you like rain, come to the UK, we have plenty of it.

Stella Jones said...

A wonderful sound indeed and so refreshing. I loved your words, pictures and video. I really felt like I was on your porch enjoying the shower. When I am in Knoxville, if it rains like that, I can stay outside and watch it. In England, it would probably turn colder while it was raining and I would want to go indoors.
Last night, the weather man said that from Yorkshire up to Scotland, it might be possible to see the Aurora Borealis if the sky was clear. Here in London, there would be no hope of that but I was more than tempted to go up to Yorkshire because it is a sight I have never seen before and would love to experience. It is very unusual for it to be see as far south as England.
Hope the rain cleared the air of hot-dogs!
Blessings, Star

Suz said...

such a beautiful post
your words..poetic
your video...generous
thanks for sharing
who doesn't love a good rain

Vicki Lane said...

Ms EM and Elora and NCMountainwoman -- surely your turn will come!

Yep, Jean, we weren't that desperate, thank goodness!

Great, Tipper!

I love that sound, Wil!

Deanna -- we have a front row seat for storms on our front porch and really enjoy being out there.

Friko -- that was in reference to yesterday's post on the Dog Days and the Wikipedia link which told how the Romans used to sacrifice a brown dog at that tome -- presumably to make the weather moderate.

How exciting, Star! Maybe you should hop on a train for Yorkshire. I've never seen an Aurora Borealis.

Thanks, Suz -- though I suspect some of our Brit friends don't share my longing...

Merisi said...

Magic caught in your images!

So glad the weather gods sent you this much needed downpour.

cristina said...

It's a wonderful rain! :-) I'm sorry for my poor english! By Vicky! :-)