day six, a rainy hanukkah

We heard news that there was a big storm headed across the Pacific Ocean early this week. The clouds rolled in yesterday afternoon. Overnight I listened to the wind blow. The morning was wet and chilly. Funny how it startles me to open the curtains and not see the mountain.

The sun battled with the clouds in the afternoon creating some interesting photo ops.

strange but true

 Most of the time the weather forecast for the valley is fairly mundane, sunny and warm with the fluctuating factor being just how warm. Yet I have found that when storms do come they often have an unusual flair that captures my attention. Thursday morning the sky was trying to spit some rain but it wasn't 'til late afternoon when there was enough moisture falling to take notice. When the first drops fell the sun was shining brightly but starting its decent toward the horizon. I stood under the carport and attempted to capture the raindrops sparkling as they fell. Back in the dry kitchen I figured I should check what was happening on the mountain side of the view (it is not unusual when we get rain to find a rainbow or two sprawled across the mountain). Yup, there it was but this time the rainbow as contained in the clouds while the blue sky next door pretended that it was a typically sunny day.

Sunset arrived before the rain finished and the mountains, still clinging to the rainbow, along with the surrounding clouds turned an eerie orangish hue.

 

The neighbors across the street were wanted to come look for gold at our house, from their view the rainbow seemed to end in our backyard.

And the sun went down, the close of another photo-op day in the Valley of the Sun.

cloudy with a chance of elk chili

 In the desert rain is always a big deal...and big rain can cause big problems. Almost every time we have a heavy rain you will hear reports of people trying to drive through flooded wash areas and getting swept away. It isn't unusual for deaths to occur during those incidents. 

Wednesday night I awoke to hear the beginning of a torrential rainfall. I eventually went back to sleep to the song of the rain but in the morning it was evident the rain had been long and hard. 

Jay called shortly after he left for work and suggested I walk to the end of the street to see the water flowing in the wash. I grabbed the camera and Lily and I headed out the door.

 

 After visiting the street we walked to the bottom of our property and looked at the water that was running there also.

And here, my photographer friends, is a wonderful example of the type of photo they warn you about it basic photography tutorials..... be aware of everything that is going on within the viewfinder so you don't accidentally end up with a beautiful sky scape and a dog taking a dump in the foreground.

puddles in the desert

Jay gets photo credit for this last shot

Certainly not as poetic as "Streams in the desert" but after two solid days of rain, mud and puddles were left behind. Messy, but all that wet provided some untypical Arizona photo opportunities.

double blessing

During dance practice in our worship room on Monday afternoon a double rainbow appeared framing the mountain. The colors were vivid and seemed to splash off the ground where they touched the horizon. Three times the promise reminders appeared, disappeared and reappeared.

Photo credit for first 2 photos: Jay

Rain Dance

When I was a little girl my mother used to lay down with me at night, rub my back, and help me transition into a peaceful place where I could fall asleep. One of the games she made up involved imagining we were floating on clouds. We would take turns choosing what color cloud we would float on each evening. I often think of those times when I see a sunset where the clouds turn colors. However, the other evening as we made a trip to Home Depot to get parts for the bathroom sink I saw a sight that put a new twist on the colored clouds idea. Because we are in the monsoon season in Arizona we have seen a lot of rain storms on the horizon and watched numerous lightning displays. This particular rainstorm occurred in the west just as the sun was setting. The conditions were just right and there it was...Pink Rain!