It must be very difficult for the weather folk to determine a forecast for this area. Way too often they send frantic alerts for storms that never show up. Other times, like yesterday, they say there is zero chance of rain. Even later in the afternoon, when a few clouds blew in, they still insisted we had only a minuscule chance of rain.
And then, suddenly, from one second to the next, it seemed, the mostly clear skies gave way to gray clouds, and rain poured down.
Although the people I work for often offer me a ride back to my house, until yesterday, I have always refused. I live a mere two blocks away, and neither rain nor snow, nor heat, nor gloom of night ever kept me from walking home. I know they worry about me, but I don’t. As I always said, when they offered a ride, was, “It’s only two blocks.”
Last evening, for the first time, I was grateful for the offer of a ride. Even though I’d only be outside for the few minutes it would take to walk home, it seemed an almost insurmountable task. I mean, it was RAINING! I’ve often heard a cliché about rain and turning on a faucet, and it truly did seem as if someone up above opened a faucet a mile wide and was dumping water on us. (That’s how clichés become clichés — because they are true often enough that they become overused.) Yikes.
Poor visibility, flooded streets, chilly temperatures are the very reasons I I hesitate to accept rides. I figure if it’s hard walking, then it’s also hard driving. But yesterday, with a ride, at least I didn’t get quite as drenched as I would have otherwise.
Of course, if I had known about the rain, I would have come prepared with a waterproof hat, an umbrella, and appropriate clothes. I must admit, I was more concerned about my hat — a gift from a friend — than I was about me. I was afraid the rain would ruin the hat. As it turns out, the hat still got damp enough to be bent out of shape.
But I got home safely and not too wet.
And I have a better respect for the volatility of the weather out here on the plains.
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