but finally it's raining.

A sad casualty of my headaches has been my camera. It's sat dormant, gathering dust in my camera bag, much like my creative spirit has been gathering dust in my mind and heart. My mind is cobwebby, but we're coming back. Slowly shaking out the wrinkles.

Rain helps. I'm feeling washed clean like our gutters and our walks and our little dogs' paws. We had the windows open Sunday night on our first cool day after nearly a week of ninety degree temperatures. Unexpected thunder sent the kids scurrying inside, and after that, the rain came. While I was cooking dinner I kept hearing this odd, scrabbling noise. Our dogs are convinced that there's something under the house, and all that noise had me convinced that there was something in the house! It took walking to the living room and all those open windows for me to realize it was the swish of car tires on rain-slick streets. Unfamiliar and most welcome after so many dry weeks.

The First Rain by Yehuda Amichai

The first rain reminds me
Of the rising summer dust.
The rain doesn't remember the rain of yesteryear.
A year is a trained beast with no memories.
Soon you will again wear your harnesses,
Beautiful and embroidered, to hold
Sheer stockings: you
Mare and harnesser in one body.

The white panic of soft flesh
In the panic of a sudden vision
Of ancient saints.

We're due for more over the next several days, and I'm so glad. Wash clean my heart, dear rain. Erase the dust motes from my mind and bring clarity to my days to come.