Today's rain clouds

One of the great advantages of living in Downey is our rain. First, our rain is typically a soft rainfall that's actually fun to walk through. The rain usually soaks into the ground to replenish our city's underground wells or is channeled into the sewer system to be returned to the ocean.

Second, the rain usually only lasts a day or two. Then the sun will break through to give us beautiful blue skies with a few puffy white clouds. My weather app says today's rain will be done by 7 am tomorrow and then we'll have partly cloudy skies for the remainder of the day. What a great place to live.

"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." 
~ Roger Miller

Puddles in the park

This morning there were numerous puddles in the park from the rain we had yesterday and last night. It made for some fun reflections.



"Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life."
~ John Updike

Surface runoff

Speaking of water...we're in the midst of a rainstorm here in southern California.

Rain in the city means a lot of surface runoff, which occurs when rain comes down faster than the soil can absorb it. This occurs more often in cities because of all the roofs and pavement that funnel the water where it can't be absorbed. In fact, surface runoff in the city is a primary cause of flooding.

So where does all this water go? Except for specially designed soak areas like I showed last week, most of it just flows down the drain and back into the ocean instead of back into our groundwater supply.

Rainy streets

The much-needed rain that came so suddenly last week seems to be over. But for a short time, the streets had this magical glow at night. Somehow it makes everything more appealing.

"Rainy days,
Rainy nights.
Wash the world,
Set to right.
Cleansing streets
set apart.
Rainy days
Cleanse the heart." 
~ Unknown

Here comes the rain

It was on my drive home today that the rain started really coming down.

"Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain." 
~ Langston Hughes

This crazy storm!

In California, we have earthquakes for excitement. We rarely get (or are prepared for) "Weather" with a capital "W." But today we've seen what many are calling the worst storm in years. High winds have knocked down branches and even trees, and have left many without power. Streets and freeways are flooded.

Thankfully, all this rain continues to improve our current drought conditions. But even so, californiadrought.org reports that there are no quick fixes: "Despite these improvements, drought impacts on overdrafted groundwater basins, forests, and aquatic species in California are long term and will take multiple above-average precipitation years to be resolved."

Rain!

It was an amazing day of rain today. May we have many more.

"Tell me how many beads there are
In a silver chain
Of evening rain,
Unravelled from the tumbling main..."
~ Thomas Lovell Beddoes

No dumping

Especially during a drought, we tend to think that every bit or rain has got to help, right?

Well, maybe. Most of our water supply comes from rain and snow that falls during the winter in northern and eastern California. Groundwater is also an important part of Downey's water supplies, comprising about 30% of water used in an average year, and 60% or more in a drought year.

And what falls right here in Downey? Well, it pretty much just flows down the storm drains to the Pacific Ocean.

April showers...not so much

These clouds looked pretty stormy to me on an afternoon last week. Now I have to wonder if they were a result of the work of the LA County Dept. of Public Works. According to an article I read today, contract workers have been attempting to make it rain through "cloud seeding"—sending special flares containing silver iodide into the clouds to increase precipitation. The flares are shot from the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains.

Interestingly, even though cloud seeding has gone on in LA for 50 years, there didn't seem to be solid evidence that it was really effective. Sadly, the predicted El Nino rains have not appeared this year, so the drought remains concerning for LA.

"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it." ~ Patrick Young 

Yosemite in the rain

I've been fortunate. I've seen Yosemite in the snow, and in the bright sunshine. But until this weekend, I haven't seen it in the rain. But, we came prepared, and a little bit of rain didn't slow us down. And the little puffs of clouds that drifted by just added to the beauty.

The scene above shows the valley from the south end. Bridal Veil Fall is on the right. Half Dome, in the center, and El Capitan, to the left, would be visible if they weren't covered with clouds. The picture below shows the same view from up high, from the Tunnel View turnout (see Yosemite: First view).

It rained today

Sorry, but here in southern California, that's news. It started in the late morning and has continued for most of the day. I took this photograph during a lull in the storm this evening around 9:00 pm. That's probably why there are no children on the swings. You know, if you hold a camera's shutter open long enough, enough light gets in and it can look like daytime. But it's not.

But it's the reflections that intrigue a photographer. What is the difference between the light from the lamppost and the reflective light from the puddle in the street? To me, it's fascinating. What do you think? Claude Monet made a living out of painting reflections in a pond.

“What keeps my heart awake is colorful silence.”
~ Claude Monet

Raindrops

The funny thing about rain is it makes everything sort of blurry and indistinct, like looking through this window. My favorite way to spend a rainy day is to be warm and cozy—a fire lit in the fireplace. It is such a peaceful way to spend a lazy afternoon...listening to the sounds of the rain drops.

"Suddenly all the sky is hid
As with the shutting of a lid,
One by one great drops are falling
Doubtful and slow,
Down the pane they are crookedly crawling,
And the wind breathes low;
Slowly the circles widen on the river,
Widen and mingle, one and all;
Here and there the slenderer flowers shiver,
Struck by an icy rain-drop’s fall."
~ James Russell Lowell, "Summer Storm," 1839

Rain!

What a surprise it was to have rain this afternoon.

I was outside and it felt so humid and tropical. Then came the rain. As I watched, the sun (which had been hidden behind the rain clouds) became more visible, trying to peek through...while it was still raining.

It has been so long since it has rained, I couldn't resist staying outside and soaking it up.

"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." 
~ Roger Miller

The sky explodes

I stopped at Downey Gateway yesterday while looking for pictures. I thought, with the rain, that I wouldn't have any difficulty finding a parking place. But I was wrong—the parking lot was full.

But that's not what I really want to talk about today. What I really want to talk about is last night's rain. It started out gently enough. But within a few short minutes, it was raining cats and dogs out there! With my window slightly open, the sound of the falling rain soon drowned out the sitcom I was watching. I thought, too bad I can't take a picture of the sounds. And I settled back to enjoy the rain.

Then, boom! the thunder came, the perfect finale.

"I love thunderstorms. Because sometimes nature can't handle the pressure. Because sometimes the sky explodes."
~ Unknown

Another rainy day

The clouds made today a little dreary, but the rainy reflections and the bright yellow tree added some cheer.

Hallelujah, rain

For three out the last four days, we have had rain. That is cause for great celebration here in arid California. We have been below our annual average for several years now and this rain is hopefully the start of many more inches to come. Now, for several days of sun to let the hills dry out, then maybe next week some more rain and a repeat every week after that. Just not during Christmas week.

This picture is looking westward down the newly refurbished Firestone Blvd.

Falling in love with cooler weather

It was so nice to have rain that seemed to bring on the beginning of some cooler weather. This morning the air was crisp and fresh. I felt invigorated as I walked down the street. I don't know if these leaves would have fallen on their own, or if the rain helped, either way it made for a beautiful walk.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." 
~ John Muir

Rain makes everything beautiful

I have been looking longingly at my sweaters and scarves, hoping for cooler weather and the chance to wear layers once again. Last night it rained. And, it rained so hard the streets couldn't handle it. It actually looked like some new rivers had formed along Rives Ave.

I like the reflection of the palm trees and the car as I look back toward Firestone.

"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby."
~ Langston Hughes

Rainy day adventure

I have to admit, I took this picture some time ago. But, I thought the two of them looked so cute walking down the street together.

“Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure.”
~ Emily Wing Smith

Unexpected rain

I was going to take some pictures of the Warren High School baseball team practice this afternoon, but I got there too late. I had just gotten out of the car when it started to rain. The players wasted no time getting off the field, collecting their gear and heading to their vehicles. The reason I didn't think it would rain while I shot some pictures was that the storm cloud covered only half the sky and I was under the clear half. We drove home without any pictures, so I decided to show you this view of the storm. The sun is shinning through the clouds and it's still raining.

But looking the other way gave you a view of a rainbow.

"And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow."
~ Gilbert K. Chesterton