The yard hasn’t been mowed since August 6th, and it has apparently not stopped raining since then, at least since we returned on the 17th. We seem to be caught in a weather pattern suffering from schizophrenia – thunderstorm and rain for 30 minutes, sunshine out of nowhere for 30 minutes, rinse, repeat. So far this week I’ve heard at least 3 neighbors mowing their lawns IN the rain. I suppose that’s better than making the dogs trudge through grass so high it’s about to drop new seeds on the lawn.
Yesterday afternoon I heard thunder nearby and looked out the window to see the sun shining brightly as the raindrops steadily fell. Remembering the old adage “sun behind, rain in front” I walked outside to find the biggest double rainbow I’ve seen since living in Colorado.
I’ll never forget the one from Colorado – it was 16 years ago and it happened the day my closest friend’s father unexpectedly passed away. I still have pictures of that one, and I’ve never seen anything like it since.
It’s interesting though – we had great weather early in the Alaska trip, but then it turned gray for the last part. There wasn’t much rain, certainly not rain like we get in the south, but it was just gray. I guess they’ve had a very sunny summer but do get lots of days like that. I find I prefer sudden downpours with bouts of bright sunshine, to constant overcast but no rain.
Perhaps it’s just my comfort zone. Ryan was clearly right at home with the weather in Alaska, but I found I missed being able to count on the sun rising and setting in a familiar pattern overhead. The way the sun sort of circled around us left me disoriented to time of day, for the most part. This was fine of course, because I was on vacation and who cares what time it was!
I guess that’s why so many people stay put over time, regardless of weather conditions. You’ll put up with long, dreary winters or earthquakes or hurricanes or tornadoes because it’s familiar. They say familiarity breeds contempt, but I think it breeds comfort. Nothing feels quite like coming home after a long trip away, even to your most favorite vacation spot on earth, even if it’s vacillating between thunderstorms and a 95 degree sauna outside.